How many other Tories share ‘Starve-in-the-dark’ Mark Spencer’s views?

Last Updated: February 7, 2016By
Patronising: 'Starve-in-the-dark' Mark Spencer.

Patronising: ‘Starve-in-the-dark’ Mark Spencer.

Too many people still think that comments like those of Mark Spencer come from solitary loonies on the Tory back benches. They don’t.

Spencer was voicing opinions held – and often voiced, albeit in different ways – by far too many Conservative MPs and, one presumes, by a considerable number of Tory voters, as well.

It is hopelessly divorced from reality – but then, Tory MPs don’t acknowledge any reality other than their own, it seems. Look at Iain Duncan Smith’s reaction whenever faced with statistics that prove him a fool – he either doesn’t accept them or tells us he “believes” otherwise.

The idea that the education system can “cure” a person of the condition that afflicts them with learning difficulties is just one example of the shamefully blinkered viewpoint held by these creatures.

One can only hope that his Parliamentary outburst alerts the public of Sherwood to the idiocy of the person they elected and in future, like his namesake Frank, he can admit that he’s “had a bit of trouble” – due to his own words.

A Tory MP stunned fellow parliamentarians after defending the benefits system that left a jobseeker with learning difficulties without food or electricity after he was four minutes late for a Jobcentre appointment.

Conservative backbencher Mark Spencer, who represents the Nottinghamshire constituency of Sherwood, made the controversial remarks during a debate on the state of poverty in Britain on Wednesday afternoon in Westminster Hall.

Labour MP Lisa Nandy, shadow civil society minister, told fellow parliamentarians about how a vulnerable person in her constituency of Wigan suffered after having his benefits taken away under the controversial sanctions regime.

In response to Nandy’s speech, Spencer said that people like him needed to learn “the discipline of timekeeping”, and suggested the education system needed to improve to cure the constituent’s learning difficulties.

Political scientist Rob Ford, from Manchester University, accused Spencer of telling job-seekers who miss their appointments to, in effect, “starve in the dark”.

Source: ‘Patronising’ Tory MP Mark Spencer Accused Of Wanting The Poor To Starve In The Dark

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No Comments

  1. Robert Fillies February 7, 2016 at 1:17 pm - Reply

    It’s actually frightening to hear that statement from a politician of a supposed mainstream political party, i hope that the number of tory mps and voters who agree with him are few. Because that statement reveals a callousness one would expect from some kind of extremist.

  2. NMac February 7, 2016 at 1:23 pm - Reply

    This is perhaps why Tories appear to hate everyone who isn’t one of them.

  3. Matthew Luke February 7, 2016 at 2:17 pm - Reply

    This is pretty old news, no less shameful of course, but it dates from Feb 2015.

    • Mike Sivier February 7, 2016 at 2:44 pm - Reply

      … and yet it turned up on my news feed today. You can see why – people are reading things from a year ago and putting them up in the belief that they’re new.
      VERY annoying for people like Yours Truly, who have to find the real news within a limited time and have to wade through regurgitated material to find it!

      I’m going to leave it up anyway because you can never have too much information about these diabolical creatures.

      • Matthew Luke February 7, 2016 at 2:50 pm - Reply

        It’s tough to keep track of what they are up to at any one time. And as you say, it is noteworthy.

    • chriskitcher February 7, 2016 at 3:20 pm - Reply

      I think that it is great that such stories are recalled. In far too many cases people forget about such callous remarks that highlight the inherent nastiness of the |Tories and it is good to remind people how rotten, vile, unfit to govern and and callous the Tories really are.

  4. Norma Roberts February 7, 2016 at 2:30 pm - Reply

    Four minutes late! Nothing to do with discipline of time keeping, more to do with everyday delay, which can happen to anyone! How did they know the job centre clock wasn’t four minutes fast? As for “curing” learning disabilities, what next, classes to cure epilepsy?

    • peskirabbit February 7, 2016 at 3:39 pm - Reply

      Yes Mark Spencer is obviously as thick as two short planks, but euphemisms like “learning difficulties” don’t do any favours to people’s understanding of what is really involved in a condition, just as the term “human rights abuses” often brings to mind “oh he couldn’t be sent back because he had a cat here, how ridiculous” rather than rape, torture, beatings, which is what the term actually means. It would help sometimes if we did not have to deal in mealy-mouthed phrases…..this twat may actually think that “learning difficulties” means the guy is simply hard to teach!

    • Stephen Mellor February 7, 2016 at 7:19 pm - Reply

      Bull pucky.

      People get fired for being late. Why should he be given extra consideration?

      He had all day to get there. Other people are waiting their turn.

      • Mike Sivier February 8, 2016 at 11:26 am - Reply

        See the reply from Steve Davis.
        It seems your comment is the “Bull pucky” here (whatever that may be).

      • steve davis February 8, 2016 at 11:44 am - Reply

        Your Tory trains can be 5 minutes late and on time Mellor; I’d be surprised if a Tory could read the time without the use of the speaking clock.

  5. Samuel Miller (@Hephaestus7) February 7, 2016 at 4:36 pm - Reply

    Have you seen this? Priti Patel who will fight against David Cameron in bid for Britain to leave the EU | Daily Mail Online http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3435530/The-poster-girl-campaign-rising-cabinet-star-fight-tooth-nail-against-Cameron-bid-Britain-leave-EU.html.

    Employment minister Priti Patel is neither fit to lead the EU ‘out’ campaign, nor continue as a DWP minister. She must be held responsible for the despicable conduct of Jobcentres, who are sanctioning pregnant women and the learning disabled.

  6. Steve Davis February 7, 2016 at 8:52 pm - Reply

    You can be late for a jobcentre appointment even by being on time, if there is a queue for instance. I’ve been waiting hours early to be told wrong time and sent to the back of the queue, to only manage to get in just in time.

    In any case the Tory needs to learn to respect others more able than he is, and learn humility.

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