Reform, and the death of the Tory Party

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Beebo

Legendary Member

The one area I do have some sympathy, is that comments made before you become a politician should not be taken out of context. It’s not a resignation matter. I would hate anyone to trawl my history.

Unless the comment is illegal or harmful they should be put to one side. Same with MPs who may have done a few silly things as students. We can’t retrospectively police everyone’s comments for their whole life.
 
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Pblakeney

Squire
The one area I do have some sympathy, is that comments made before you become a politician should not be taken out of context. It’s not a resignation matter. I would hate anyone to trawl my history.

Unless the comment is illegal or harmful they should be put to one side. Same with MPs who may have done a few silly things as students. We can’t retrospectively police everyone’s comments for their whole life.

Are you new to the internet? Or politics for that matter?
Not that I disagree with your point.
 
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briantrumpet

briantrumpet

Timewaster
The one area I do have some sympathy, is that comments made before you become a politician should not be taken out of context. It’s not a resignation matter. I would hate anyone to trawl my history.

Unless the comment is illegal or harmful they should be put to one side. Same with MPs who may have done a few silly things as students. We can’t retrospectively police everyone’s comments for their whole life.

They should be able to apologise for them as a silly indiscretion - I can think of several cringey things I've said, and would happily apologise if anyone remembered them and said they were offended.

It would be a problem though if those attitudes (e.g., misogyny), which past comments illustrated, were part of someone's political appeal, and the person who had made problematic statements was unwilling to disown them because they still agree with them.
 

icowden

Pharaoh
They should be able to apologise for them as a silly indiscretion - I can think of several cringey things I've said, and would happily apologise if anyone remembered them and said they were offended.
Or even not as a silly indiscretion. There was a huge blow up for Janey Godley (Comedian) when a journalist went through her history of tweets. She was dropped from BBC radio panel shows etc. She went straight on to media interviews where, rather than just saying she didn't mean it, or trying to make excuses, she just owned the tweets. She came out and said, yes, I said those things, they were wrong and I deeply regret them. She spoke quite eloquently and didn't make excuses.
 

Beebo

Legendary Member
Are you new to the internet? Or politics for that matter?
Not that I disagree with your point.

I know how the tabloid press works.
The one that always annoys me is someone digs out a student party fancy dress black face from the 80s or 90s. Or even Prince Harry ‘s nazi uniform.
These things were common place youngsters being a bit edgy, and it wasn’t seen as unacceptable.
If they then had a history over the next 20 years then call it out, but one off silly stuff 30 years ago isn’t an issue to me.
 
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