Gransnet forums

News & politics

Dianne Abbot - did she want to be suspended, again .

(112 Posts)
Iam64 Fri 18-Jul-25 13:56:56

DA has given an interview in which she doubles down on her previous comments that only black people are subjected to racism. Travellers, Jewish people are in her view treated like red heads
She’s been suspended again. No diubt that’s what she wanted.

Madgran77 Tue 22-Jul-25 06:59:52

You can convert to Judaism you can't convert to being black. Some Jews are black. Some Jews are Irish.

I am wondering just how many times this or similar explanations by myself and others have to be repeated on this thread!! 🙄

theworriedwell Mon 21-Jul-25 19:46:06

eazybee

I do not see how Dianne Abbott can lump the Irish, Jews and Travellers together as experiencing, or not, racism.
The Irish and the Jews are each a race and have a common religion.
Travellers is a generic used term to describe a travelling community; they share no common racial or religious heritage, apart from the Romany.
Therefore Irish and Jews may both be racially abused (charming).
Travellers may not.
As for red hair.....confused

You can convert to Judaism you can't convert to being black. Some Jews are black. Some Jews are Irish.

mokryna Sun 20-Jul-25 15:46:28

Yes’ she did want to get suspended.

bmacca Sun 20-Jul-25 15:39:46

She didn’t try to claim that racism and bigotry against white-passing people doesn’t exist in Britain, in fact she said the opposite, that she’s spent her political career fighting all forms of racism.

Only an idiot would try to pretend that she doesn’t have a point about anti-black racism being distinct from other kinds of racism because people of colour are identifiable from hundreds of yards away, while it’s often (but not always) difficult for racists to identify people like Roma, Jews, Poles etc by sight alone.

Oreo Sat 19-Jul-25 23:01:26

Probably for the best.🤔

Allira Sat 19-Jul-25 21:32:35

Anyway, we went over and over all this the first time
I'm not sure what first time this was.

But as you won't discuss that, I doubt we'll find out.

Allira Sat 19-Jul-25 21:31:12

I don't intend to discuss that, either.

It's not compulsory

Allira Sat 19-Jul-25 21:30:18

In my younger days, Allira, what we now call 'racism' was called 'colour prejudice. I don't consider them to be different.

In my younger days too until more clearly defined by law in Acts of Parliament.

Anniebach Sat 19-Jul-25 21:04:16

Quote MaizieD Sat 19-Jul-25 20:56:58
he said other groups experienced prejudice, not racism, ilovecheese.

In my younger days, Allira, what we now call 'racism' was called 'colour prejudice. I don't consider them to be different.

Anyway, we went over and over all this the first time. I'm not going over it again. My view remains unchanged.

And I'll thank Annieb not to give me lectures on the Jewish homeland. I'm perfectly well aware of history post 1950, I have lived through it, too.

I don't intend to discuss that, either.

I shared , your free to ignore, you,couldn’t pass a kick of sarcasm though , it’s ok

MaizieD Sat 19-Jul-25 20:56:58

he said other groups experienced prejudice, not racism, ilovecheese.

In my younger days, Allira, what we now call 'racism' was called 'colour prejudice. I don't consider them to be different.

Anyway, we went over and over all this the first time. I'm not going over it again. My view remains unchanged.

And I'll thank Annieb not to give me lectures on the Jewish homeland. I'm perfectly well aware of history post 1950, I have lived through it, too.

I don't intend to discuss that, either.

Anniebach Sat 19-Jul-25 20:23:16

Labour Party was riddled with antisemitism , Corbyn as leader
set up the following enquiry

Following her appointment in April 2016 as chair of an inquiry into antisemitism and other forms of racism in the Labour Party, Chakrabarti announced that she had joined the party in order to gain members' trust and confidence, and expressed confidence that this would not compromise her independence.[34] Chakrabarti criticised the Conservative Party for not conducting their own inquiry into Islamophobia, following allegations from Sayeeda Warsi in London's 2016 mayoral election against Sadiq Khan.[35] The Chakrabarti Inquiry report was published in June 2016 and concluded that Labour was "not overrun by anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, or other forms of racism," but that there was an "occasionally toxic atmosphere".[36]
Jeremy Corbyn announced her as the only Labour appointment to the House of Lords in August 2016. This was a necessary step to her subsequent appointment as Shadow Attorney General. However, some (including Labour MPs Tom Watson and Wes Streeting) saw this as creating the potential for bias in what should have been an independent inquiry.[37] When asked about the appointment, a spokesman for Corbyn said that Chakrabarti was "an ideal appointment to the Lords ..

Independent enquiry? It was a farce,

Allira Sat 19-Jul-25 20:10:04

She said other groups experienced prejudice, not racism, ilovecheese.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/jan/05/diane-abbott-accused-racism-twitter

UK's Labour suspends Diane Abbott for saying Jews experience prejudice, not racism
www.reuters.com/world/europe/uks-labour-suspends-diane-abbott-saying-jews-experience-prejudice-not-racism-2023-04-23/
The equalities watchdog found in 2020 Labour had serious failings in the party’s handling of persistent antisemitism complaints.

Judging by her comments over the years, we could conclude that Diane Abbott herself is racist.

Allira Sat 19-Jul-25 19:57:54

Luckygirl3

Ilovecheese

That is not really a fair summary of what Diane Abbot said. I think anyone wanting to post an opinion should maybe have a listen to what she actually said first.

I agree - I think what she said was that lots of people who have the potential to be the victims of racism are not so obvious as someone with black skin. I don't think she said that these others did not suffer racism or that she supported that happening to them.

I may have got this wrong, but that is how I read it.

Did you read what she had said in the very first instance?

Anniebach Sat 19-Jul-25 19:54:14

Quote MaizieD Sat 19-Jul-25 19:24:07
I read it like that, too, Luckygirl3

Unless they were wearing something really distinctive that made their ethnicity obvious I wouldn't recognise a Jew, a traveller or an Irish person if I saw them in the street. I'm always surprised at how many well known people are Jewish because it would never cross my mind to think of them in any other way than British (or whatever nationality they happen to be).

On the other hand, a person of colour is always recognisable.

I don't even understand where the apparent resurgence of anti Semitism came from, though I can well understand the rise of anti Zionism.

Israel is the homeland for Jews, it is a Jewish State

MaizieD Sat 19-Jul-25 19:24:07

I read it like that, too, Luckygirl3

Unless they were wearing something really distinctive that made their ethnicity obvious I wouldn't recognise a Jew, a traveller or an Irish person if I saw them in the street. I'm always surprised at how many well known people are Jewish because it would never cross my mind to think of them in any other way than British (or whatever nationality they happen to be).

On the other hand, a person of colour is always recognisable.

I don't even understand where the apparent resurgence of anti Semitism came from, though I can well understand the rise of anti Zionism.

Fartooold Sat 19-Jul-25 19:24:01

Openly Jewish “lady” here, non practising. I have never been racially abused. I am absolutely horrified at what is going on whatever race, colour or creed anyone is!

Anniebach Sat 19-Jul-25 19:18:50

Is just coincidence she brought up the very same remarks on racism that she was suspended for in 2023 and at the same time as 4 Labour MP’s have had the whip suspended now ?

Ilovecheese Sat 19-Jul-25 18:57:44

That is how I read as well.

Luckygirl3 Sat 19-Jul-25 18:52:32

Ilovecheese

That is not really a fair summary of what Diane Abbot said. I think anyone wanting to post an opinion should maybe have a listen to what she actually said first.

I agree - I think what she said was that lots of people who have the potential to be the victims of racism are not so obvious as someone with black skin. I don't think she said that these others did not suffer racism or that she supported that happening to them.

I may have got this wrong, but that is how I read it.

Labradora Sat 19-Jul-25 18:36:07

Doesn't Dianne Abbott have an Oxford degree , that would make her a very clever woman in anyone's book , I think. I think she just repeated the same sentiments for which she originally apologised in order, I imagine, to have the party whip restored at that earlier time.
Her statement that you can't always see Jewishness but you can always see Blackness is accurate. The Labour Party Leadership seem however to think that it is just her clever way of being Anti-Semitic . DA suggests that racism against jewish people is less serious but she distracts and deflects from that fairly invidious sentiment by making it part of a more general comment about racism and visibility in other less significant and possibly less persecuted groups.
FYI I am neither Jewish nor black.
Is anyone on Gnsnet a Jewish ( or any) member of DA's constituency because people defending her always cite her work on behalf of the large Jewish contingent in her constituency as a defence against accusations that she is anti-semitic. Would be interesting to know.

Ilovecheese Sat 19-Jul-25 18:34:56

Forgot to say that the lines in quotation marks are from eazybee

Ilovecheese Sat 19-Jul-25 18:33:41

"I do not see how Dianne Abbott can lump the Irish, Jews and Travellers together as experiencing, or not, racism."

She didn't

eazybee Sat 19-Jul-25 17:21:25

Confused!

Mt61 Sat 19-Jul-25 17:06:02

Mt61

What does ‘as for the red hair’ mean?

Easybee

Mt61 Sat 19-Jul-25 17:05:50

What does ‘as for the red hair’ mean?