If anything a bloke would get it worse for crying on the front bench because it’s far less socially acceptbale for a man to cry in public
6 Likes
No that was just hilarious, I mean straight out of an episode of The Thick of It with D:Ream also playing in the distance!
2 Likes
Steve McLaren and his wally with a brolly comes to mind, from the football sphere. Pilloried for weeks and for many years after.
The media just as much as the public love to take down politicians. This speculation isn’t because she’s a woman, it’s because she’s a major politician whose shown weakness (*for a politician) and the press/public smell blood in the water.
*yes, crying as a politician is seen as showing weakness. Hell, eating a bacon sandwich wrong is also apparently a big no-no for the British people/press. 
I think this is such an outdated response. We all want our politicians to behave like real people, but at the same time it is not acceptable in any situation, to show any sort of emotion whatsoever. Nonsense! Ultimately, we have no idea what happened. If it was a personal matter, there is absolutely no reason why she should have to come out and explain herself, but fear this will be made out to be such a big issue, that she’ll have to say something.
I agree with you, but how absurd is this? Why can’t men show emotion…I am personally sick and tired of this false stiff upper lip culture in this country that you can’t show emotion. We made some real progress during/after Covid with acknowledging and gaining a better understanding of mental health issues, but as a man, you still can’t cry, absolutely not! No wonder why three quarters of suicides in the UK are men.
I’m reading the wikipedia page dedicated to this now… I like the way this quote was written:
For a party leader anxious to avoid any more gaffes, what could go wrong buying flowers for the wife? Plenty, it turned out…First came the delicate issue of his bacon roll, a vital accessory when meeting the working classes at breakfast time. Mr Miliband’s battle to consume the greasy treat alarmed his media minders, who tried to stop photographers taking close-ups of butter oozing between his teeth. After a few bites, the Labour leader appeared defeated, and the snack was put into the custody of Lord Wood, a senior shadow cabinet member.
EDIT:
There’s mentions of articles claiming the bacon sandwich meme fiasco was anti-semitic because Ed Miliband is Jewish. wtf?
This is such obvious deflection. Yesterday the government you think is doing a good job was absolutely humiliated, the authority of the prime minister absolutely shredded and one of their key policies completely gutted and unsurprisingly all was silence from you on that.
And now today the real issue was apparently some convoluted pseudo sexist attitude that Rachel Reeves was apparently the victim of, and when that didn’t fly it’s become about whether it’s ok to show emotion in public, and then some bizarre segue into mens suicides.
My take away is you are desperate not to talk about the government’s abject humiliation yesterday.
How did you based on what happened yesterday manage to find the only wrong position to take?
2 Likes
Reeves crying on national TV could work in her favour because some people will defend her saying it shows she “cares.”
Teresa May trying to eat a chip will be getting brought up for decades to come.
John Prescott owning two cars was referenced in some of his obituaries.
It’s purely about who they are in the public consciousness and nothing else.
1 Like
For the record I am not deflecting anything, and not for the first time you are making assumptions and speculating about my actual view on a specific issue. I think the vote yesterday was a humiliating U-turn for the Government. It seemed clear at the end of last week that there would be a significant number of Labour MPs who would oppose the Bill, so they should have pulled it, to allow for more time for discussion. You either do that, or you have to try to force it through.
I’m not sure this is reflective of the Government as a whole over their first year, although it is a spin doctors nightmare that the vote coincides with the 1yr anniversary and could overshadow their announcements for the NHS in the coming days. Personally, I judge any Government of any political colour on what they have done over their term. Starmer simply needs to get a grip of the agenda. If you look back, Governments, particularly Labour governments, with large majorities have struggled with rebellions. Blair was even concerned about this in 1997.
However, the wider point, which remains unaddressed, is how as a country we pay for an ever increasing welfare bill and where the money is going to come from.
Two separate issues and trust my response above deals with this…
Sir Keir Starmer may have to step down as leader within months, if Labour continue to perform poorly.
That’s according to a member of the government, and a prominent Labour MP.
They’ve both spoken to our deputy political editor Sam Coates separately - but both delivered the same damning verdict.
Sam says: "Both of them put the prime minister on notice.
“Both said the same thing: if next May, Labour performs terribly in that set of elections (there are elections in Scotland, in Wales for the Senedd, and votes in London), they said that could be Keir Starmer out.”
- Sky News.
1 Like
Out of everything the Tories did, replacing leaders when they kept falling on their arse due to their rank incompetence was one of the most ludicrous aspects of their ‘governance’.
Please no. Just call an general election in that case.
1 Like
I can see Starmer doing a Trudeau style resignation in late 2026 or 2027 if the results next year are horrific. Give the party long enough to select a new PM and allow them breathing space to get battle ready in 2029.
That may be best case scenario for Labour because as of right now the electoral map is looking bleak.
1 Like
He has to do this if he cares about the party’s fate, cos there is absolutely no way they don’t lose with him at the helm at the next general.
1 Like
Is it the best strategy? This isn’t a country that provides Labour party much patience and grace.
1 Like
6 Likes
If Starmer does resign, who would be favourite to take over?
There’s literally no-one
1 Like
