Racist Tories

Dog whistle politics.

If you don’t understand that you can’t understand the implication of these remarks.

You certainly wouldn’t find it amusing.

Boris has apologised for the hurt caused by racism in the Tory party. Just heard on news on R4

It therefore exists

I can't understand what is funny about it, please don't start attacking me. I just don't see why it's funny. Like I don't see why saying a woman looks alike a sack of spuds or a battleax or mutton dressed as lamb is funny.

Why do you feel the need to mention free speech?

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Peonyrose, I had a Muslim student, 5 years ago, who chose NOT to wear a headscarf. Her sister chose to. My student was 11 at the time.

She wrote a VERY moving speech about the hatred the sister wearing the scarf had thrown at her in public when they were out together.

Since WHEN is it our business what anyone else wears? Don't cover up your racism with 'concern for oppressed women' comments when all you're doing is 1) Patronising women by assuming they can't pick their own clothing and 2) Exposing your OWN racism for assuming clothing = oppression.

BJ is a racist. He's made SO many racist comments. I wouldn't be surprised if a photo of him in blackface surfaced at some point. His racism is so well known it is barely a talking point.

Who on earth is "attacking* you grapefruitpip?

I meant Johnson had the right to say what he did. ie women can wear what they like even if they do make themselves look like letterboxes.

Humour is very subjective. We don't all need to find the same things amusing.

"But surely it is not for BJ to be telling Muslim women that a garment of clothing " is oppressive". Or that it is " weird and bullying" to expect women to cover their faces."

This is just political correctness gone mad. Surely BJ is as entitled to his opinion as anyone else? I happen to agree with him, it IS oppressive to women and in British culture, hiding your face is historically seen as negative or even threatening behaviour, which I think is why it is such at odds with our feelings today and why it is often raised as an issue. I feel exactly the same about youths dressed in "hoodies" - they give me the same feeling. If you have nothing to hide, why hide your face? It's alien to my culture, although I realise it is not alien to others. Having said that, we are a free society and should all be able to dress as we wish, within reason - in just the same way as we are all entitled to express an opinion on any issue, without fear of repercussions, again within reason.

This has been blown up out of all proportion to score political points. Why can't we just have a grown up discussion and accept that there are cultural differences that we may disagree about, and that we are all entitled to an opinion on those differences.

Why not, opal, if it's his opinion?

GagaJo - why have you brought up a headscarf when no-one has objected to them? It is the full veil that's the problem because we like to see people's faces!

It seems Labour are trying to distract everyone from Corbyn's disastrous interview with Andrew Neil by playing the racism card (always a good one to keep up your sleeve).

Beg your pardon! I didn't read far enough. I'm agreeing with opal.

Patronising women by assuming they can't pick their own clothing

In some places (not UK, I hope) they can't. That is the point. Burka is used oppressively. We all know this.

Even a blimmin' midge net over your face is oppressive. Try going around in one all day if you think not.

A burka/niqab, tight to the head, as they are, is not some frothy bit of stiff white veil that stands out from your skin and doesn't really 'hide' your face anyway. Never did understand what they were/are for, but I guess that applies to plenty of 'fashion'.

Well if you're brainwashed from birth into believing you should cover yourself from head to toe in black then that is what you will want to do! Indeed it will be your free will.

When men 'choose' to wear burkas I might agree that it's a free choice. Not before.

Well said, chestnut. The same applies to all sorts of cultutal/religious rules.

Except a brainwashed decision is not free.

In case anyone's interested, Steve Stewart Williams's book, The Ape that Understood the Universe has some good stuff in it about cultural memes that are associated with religious faiths, how they work and so forth.

That is my point, Baggs. You choose to do something because you believe in it. But the question is why you believe it in the first place.

Chestnut ''Well if you're brainwashed from birth into believing you should cover yourself from head to toe in black then that is what you will want to do! Indeed it will be your free will.''

same with wearing a wig, having 2 fridges to separate foods. And so many more. Why is it that one form of 'brainwashing' is perceived as 'wrong' and others as 'right'? Who decides?

A small digression here - I find the thread title to be offensive. I vote Conservative but by no stretch of the imagination am I racist.

WWM2 is starting lots of threads with anti Conservative OP’s, hadn’t you noticed Oldwoman70 ?
Not that it’s influencing anyone mind you ( more like the opposite.)

I think most people who wear a wig do so for practical reasons rather than because of brainwashing, likewise owning a fridge, cooker, etc.

Persuade me that a burka is a practical garment if you can.

Johnson has apologised for any hurt caused by his comments
And if he has any sense will soon announce an enquiry into Islamaphobia within the Party.
Pity that Corbyn still refuses to apologise for all the anti-semitism within the LP.
The North London and stab in the back are not Jewish ‘things’
Plenty of non Jewish people live there and stab in the back is a phrase in common usage.