Proud of herself: Helen Whately thought it was really clever of her to belittle a Parliamentary colleague because they happened to be a person of colour who didn’t go to a public school like her.
These Tory MPs really are up themselves, aren’t they?
They seem to think that their 80+ seat majority in Parliament means they can patronise the plebs on the opposite benches.
Stupidly, they think this includes tone-policing people of colour about racism.
Take a look at the video here and the comments attached:
Just pure racism.
No other word for it.
Thing is, the overwhelming majority of people don't see what happens in our parliament unless the BBC decide it's worthy of a news piece. https://t.co/WbbMQwv0zs— CrémantCommunarde#WriteToJohnson 🕊️⚖️ 🟠🌤 (@0Calamity) July 22, 2021
(How sad that it was left to a minority political organisation – the Breakthrough Party – to stand up for Labour MPs who were being attacked for not being white public school alumni.)
Most recent offender was Tory talk droid Helen Whately, whose performances indicate that she is programmed with all her responses before being wheeled out to regurgitate them in public at the House of Commons or on TV.
This would explain her failure to announce the NHS three per cent pay deal (she wasn’t programmed to mention it) but not her treatment of Dr Rosena Allin-Khan when that MP challenged her:
Tories tell A&E doctor MP to watch her 'Tone' for second time in barely a year.@Helen_Whately: "I am shocked by some of the language that she uses."
Country is shocked at 160K+ deaths. Over 300K+ infections in the last week. Shocked at the catastrophe they see daily. 🏴☠️ pic.twitter.com/kOGYusXC8Y
— The Churchill Project (@WinstonCProject) July 21, 2021
People are angry:
I’m listening to @DrRosena at The Commons. I’m again absolutely disgusted that @Helen_Whately has just tone policed her. This happened last week to @zarahsultana by Victoria Atkins. What a disgrace. What is it with the Tories wanting Muslim women to lower their tone?
— Shuaib. (@ShuaibKhan26) July 21, 2021
It’s entirely possible that the Muslims who have become dispossessed – after Keir Starmer turned Labour into a haven for Islamophobes – will now think again before traipsing across to the Tories.
And not just Muslims:
Helen Whately, instead of telling other parties' female Mps to watch their tone, how about you stop stealing public money or your friends, and DO YOUR FUCKING JOB.
— Steve Jones #ProgressiveAlliance (@antoniosteve) July 21, 2021
Its not particularly hard to go give tory dimwit Helen Whately a good schooling, but front line Doctor and shadow health minister Dr Allin- Khan didn't just school her, she skewered her, then filleted her from top to bottom..
— Loz Argyle ⚓ (@ArgyleLoz) July 21, 2021
Here’s the thing, though: being offended won’t achieve anything. People need to take action. So I have a proposal:
Pre-emptive strikes.
It’s too late for the current session but when Parliament returns in the autumn, every Opposition MP (of whichever party) should append their questions or speeches with the words: “The minister is reminded to moderate [his/her] tone to ensure that it is acceptable.”
They should all do this, all the time – especially during Prime Minister’s Questions.
And they should only relent when a government spokesperson stands up, apologises for the behaviour of ministers like Whately, and promises that they will not try to belittle their Parliamentary colleagues in such a childish way again.
It won’t happen and I don’t know why. Presumably Opposition MPs are masochists?
This argument makes my head ache. The narrative is being carried by people who are not affected by it and I’m rather sick of us, when explaining what our life is like, being told that we’re wrong. Sadly, everybody’s focusing on the wrong things, as usual. If you want to kill a snake, cut off its head!