Angela Rayner lashes out and calls Sunak “pint sized loser”.

MissAdventure

So, she didn't actually "lash out".
She simply joined in with the usual stuff that goes on.

Definitely.

So, she didn't actually "lash out".
She simply joined in with the usual stuff that goes on.

I’ve always admired Alan Johnson. Comparing his childhood with the one Angela Rayner experienced is like comparing chalk and cheese. Both knew poverty, both had feckless absent fathers.
Johnson’s mother was a stable, hard working woman. She managed against the odds to bring up her son and daughter decently. She died at 42, when Alan was 13 and Linda 16. She was supported by a social worker in resisting attempts to take them into care. Instead they got a council flat . Alan Johnson was in touch with the sw when he write an autobiography. He credited his success to the support and love of his mother and sister and thanked the sw for sticking their neck out for them

I won’t detail Rayner’s different experiences but they lacked the loving care of a stable mother or an older sister

It’s the “loser” part of the sentence that’s particularly nasty.
“Loser” is what football hooligans chant whilst doing a rude gesture from their foreheads. I suppose we should be thankful she didn’t do that too. 🤪

I'm not comfortable with the jibe although its not new to Sunak, and "pint size" has a multiplicity of uses

but...because that kind of body jibe is so often used against women.

Raynors style in general - often refreshing, I dont have problems mostly.

undines

Here I go again! -
'Pint sized' is personal and demeaning, criticising a man on what is generally a sensitive point. For a man to be small is considered as much of a physical disadvantage as for a woman to be fat - perhaps even more so, because 'fat' can be changed but height can't (at least not without extreme surgery). Comments about 'mugwumps' and 'slime' are insulting and rude, but not personal in the same way. Sunak could do something about his cruel and uncaring policies, arguably he could do more to help the world with his vast wealth, but the only thing he can do to be taller is stand on tip-toe!

But only a month ago Jeremy Hunt made derogatory comments about Keir Starmer’s weight. It’s a level playing field between the parties when it comes to personal insults, but for people’s own reasons they have chosen to lambast Angela Rayner and ‘forgotten’ what he said. Maybe it’s down to his posh voice, not so wounding somehow.

Thank you Rosie51.

I doubt there will be any comment from Sunak.

I only saw a clip of the incident, but Sunak wasn't in the House, he was in Germany. That's why Dowden took PMQs. According to TinSoldier he's used to it so it's probably like water off a duck's back. Allegedly.

eazybee

Rayner is making her jibes in Parliament.

Staunch Tory supporters and Daily Telegraph readers do not necessarily have an affinity with Sunak.

That's what I meant yesterday about a time, and a place.
There was a not dissimilar occasion in France when someone in the crowd used the diminutive form of Macron's name. He went berserk, wagging his finger, and giving them a real rollicking. It wasn't the name calling per se he was worried about, but the lack of respect at an official occasion (something to do with WW2?). He said something like, "You can show yourself to be an idiot in your own time but not in public."
Out of interest, what was Sunak's reaction to AR? Anyone see?

Rayner is making her jibes in Parliament.

Staunch Tory supporters and Daily Telegraph readers do not necessarily have an affinity with Sunak.

From Politico
Totally unscientific scores on the doors: The “pint-sized loser” line stole a show that should’ve been trickier for Rayner.
Oliver Dowden 5/10 … Angela Rayner 8/10 … Regard for the feelings of short people 0/10.

As neither a staunch Conservative supporter nor a Telegraph reader I can't enlighten you. I can however point to your own double standards (don't we all occasionally dabble in those? Only saints can claim never to have veered down that path) that you still won't admit that AR knew quite well she was insulting Sunak by using his lack of height as a pejorative. You can claim the dictionary definition says one thing, but you know she was using it for cheap laughs.

Well, they aren't complaining here.

So I ask the staunch Conservative supporters and Telegraph readers here ... Why is it acceptable for the newspaper they buy or subscribe to to print this kind of matter referring to Planet of the Imps etc but not acceptable for Rayner to say what she did?

Do these Telegraph readers write to the editor to complain whenever the paper makes repeated references to Sunak's stature?

There are double standards going on here and I am merely challenging them.

TinSoldier Even the staunchly Conservative press, The Telegraph makes repeated reference to Sunak's diminutive size and political stature. Why is nobody complaining about that? how do you know they aren't? Are we to assume that unless people bring in every example of anything and everything then they're not disagreeing with them? You said AR saying pint-sized wasn't an insult, when she clearly did intend it as an insult, especially coupled with 'loser'.
Remarks about Sunak’s stature is almost a daily trope and probably water off a duck's back in the cut and thrust of politics. Surely this just endorses that reference to his height is meant to diminish and insult. I have no love for the man, but prefer to criticise his actions, not something he has no control over. He may find the tropes hurtful, I doubt he'd express that publicly.

As a general aside, I think heightism (if that’s a word) is one of the few acceptable “isms” left in this country, and the very tall and very short are just expected to put up with the casual insults and banter. It doesn’t make it right - in fact it’s very wrong - and as I said earlier I’d never condone anyone making fun of somebody else’s physical attributes. But we see derogatory comments about Sunak’s height on a daily basis, and I’ve never seen them challenged before. I wonder if Churchill was treated the same way - he was the same height or smaller, depending on whose report you read.

Chestnut

Primrose53 I agree with you that you have to fully admire people brought up in abject poverty, who manage to reach dizzying heights and yet stay polite and respectful to their colleagues even when they disagree. AR doesn't seem to have achieved that. In my book respect is one of the most important qualities in society, and if we all respected each other the world would be a very different place.

I absolutely agree with you Chestnut.

I refer to my post at 09:01:05 today.

Even the staunchly Conservative press, The Telegraph makes repeated reference to Sunak's diminutive size and political stature. Why is nobody complaining about that?

Remarks about Sunak’s stature is almost a daily trope and probably water off a duck's back in the cut and thrust of politics. Rayner detractors, including here, refer to her hair, clothes speech, underwear and social background. Why is that considered acceptable?

Clearly, Sunak isn’t pint-sized. Five feet seven is a tad below average height. But, barring a coup within his own party, he is going to be leading the party which loses the GE. He will be a loser.

Personally, I suspect Rayner made the comment as a riposte to the ridiculous claims from some Tory quarters that Boris Johnson was a political giant - which, of course, he wasn't but it doesn't stop Nadine Dorries publishing such florid nonsense.

By contrast, Sunak’s premiership is only remarkable for his obsession with small boats and Rwanda - which isn’t going to work. Even Tory commentators say they party doesn’t want it to work, for obvious reasons - but that’s another subject.

Also, whether it can be verified or not, Lewis Goodall on LBC with James O’Brien said the pint-size comment sounded familiar and posited that Dorries was the originator in her book The Plot. Rayner likes to do her research so maybe she was echoing something said by a Tory that she has read.

Personally too, I would prefer that Rayner didn’t resort to person remarks so that she can be seen to rising above the very low bar set by the government especially by Boris Johnson with his well-documents remarks about women, gay men and black Africans.

Again, so much for knowing how to represent the country appropriately and with dignity.

Primrose53 I agree with you that you have to fully admire people brought up in abject poverty, who manage to reach dizzying heights and yet stay polite and respectful to their colleagues even when they disagree. AR doesn't seem to have achieved that. In my book respect is one of the most important qualities in society, and if we all respected each other the world would be a very different place.

Callistemon21 I would like more proof they have risen above anything! A lot of them have made a 'natural' progression into politics through their power and wealth, have no idea how to run a country because they have no experience of life outside their ivory towers, and just move to the House of Commons through safe seats, to bray and sprawl! Great democracy, innit?

Here I go again! -
'Pint sized' is personal and demeaning, criticising a man on what is generally a sensitive point. For a man to be small is considered as much of a physical disadvantage as for a woman to be fat - perhaps even more so, because 'fat' can be changed but height can't (at least not without extreme surgery). Comments about 'mugwumps' and 'slime' are insulting and rude, but not personal in the same way. Sunak could do something about his cruel and uncaring policies, arguably he could do more to help the world with his vast wealth, but the only thing he can do to be taller is stand on tip-toe!

undines

Comments about 'the gutter' puzzle me, considering the moral cesspits that are reputed to be Eton et al. Some of what goes on in our public schools is dreadful, by some accounts, but I guess that's okay as long as it's all aristocrats with posh voices.

So we should admire them too, having overcome the deprivation suffered in the moral cesspits they endured as children.

John Major’s parents were circus performers.

Comments about 'the gutter' puzzle me, considering the moral cesspits that are reputed to be Eton et al. Some of what goes on in our public schools is dreadful, by some accounts, but I guess that's okay as long as it's all aristocrats with posh voices.

MissAdventure

So many people have wronged Rayner, then.
Mocking, referring to things that she has had no control over.
Speculating that she wears no knickers, and so on...

I quite agree, any personal derogatory comments are unacceptable. I don't like them whoever is making them, and she doesn't get a pass because she's been on the receiving end from others. As far as I know Sunak hasn't criticised any aspect of her appearance? My main point though was that I disagree with TinSoldier's assertion that pint-sized isn't derogatory when it was clearly used as part of an insult "pint-sized loser"