Have the Tory-Lites really changed?

[yerself]

You'll like this garinda; look what your favourite political group think of Labour.
Labour is worse than Nick Griffin’s ‘racist’ British National Party (BNP) party

[garinda]

Originally Posted by yerself

Of course it is. If labour can do it why can't the Conservatives?

The difference being though, when given the chance, unlike previous Conservative governments, they backed up their claims of inclusiveness, to change laws that targeted and discriminated against various sections of society.

So it's harder to paint them as hypocritical, and merely paying lip service to equality, in order to be seen as more appealing to the electorate.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by yerself

You'll like this garinda; look what your favourite political group think of Labour.
Labour is worse than Nick Griffin’s ‘racist’ British National Party (BNP) party

I don't see extremist religious nutters as a particularly strong political 'group'.

Like our own Logan, they're merely a sadly amusing sideshow, to the main players.

[yerself]

Here's how barmy some labour MPs are.

Iain Dale's Diary: Labour MP: It's Racist Not to Invite Me on QTime!


Labour MP: It's Racist Not to Invite Me on QTime!


Remember Dawn Butler? She's a Labour MP who seems to specialise in making an arse of herself. For those with short memories click HERE, HERE and HERE. And she's at it again this week, accusing the BBC of racism because they haven't invited her to appear on Question Time. Her reason? Her opponent at the next election, the "hideously white" Sarah Teather has been invited on three times this year. This conveniently ignores that fact that Teather is a leading LibDem front bench spokesman and the LibDems don't exactly have a huge genepool to choose from. Far be it from me to cast aspersions on Ms Butler's intellectual abilities, but her colleagues seem to regard her as, well, not the sharpest knife in the Labour drawer.

The BBC responded by saying...

The suggestion that Question Time does not feature panellists from a wide range of backgrounds simply does not bear scrutiny. Diane Abbott, David Lammy, Sayeeda Warsi, Priti Patel, Chuka Umunna, Shahid Malik, Shaun Bailey, Adam Afriyie, Baroness Amos and Paul Boateng have all appeared. Other panellists include the Rt Revd Nazir Ali, Archbishop Sentamu, Rageh Omaar, Shappi Khorsandi, June Sarpong, Trisha Goddard, Beverley Knight, Tim Campbell, Hardeep Singh, Salma Yaqoob, Yvonne Thompson and Bonnie Greer. Sarah Teather is part of the Liberal Democrat cabinet team and every Labour panellist in the current series has also been at cabinet level.


To accuse the BBC of racism just because she's not been invited onto the most high profile current affairs show on TV is typical of people who see racism in every perceived snub. The rest of us should just laugh at her craven attitude.

UPDATE: I have just been told that Dawn Butler was selected from an all black shortlist. So that's not racist then...

[andrewb]

Exclusive: Gay Tory MP Alan Duncan calls Labour’s homophobia accusations ‘a sick scare story’ - from Pink News - all the latest gay news from the gay community - Pink News

Gay Conservative MP Alan Duncan has responded to attacks from Labour MPs who called the opposition party 'homophobic'.

Calling the accusations "poisonous mudslinging, the shadow leader of the House of Commons said they would "backfire dreadfully" on Labour.

[garinda]

Not suprisingly there has always been high ranking homosexuals in the Conservative party, as there are in every walk of life.

It's just that they chose to hide their identities in the political closet, by always voting against law reforms that would have resulted in greater equality, whilst carrying on with their own charade of pretence in their own lives.

The stories I could tell, if it weren't for threat of libel.

Still, not everyone lives forever....

[andrewb]

Originally Posted by garinda

Why single him out, as a particular opponent of inequality?

Just because he's gay doesn't make his opinion any less valid.

Most right-mined people, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or colour, find racism and homophobia unacceptable, irrespective of their own circumstances.

Nobody said anything about his opinion being less valid because he's gay?

[garinda]

Originally Posted by andrewb

Exclusive: Gay Tory MP Alan Duncan calls Labour’s homophobia accusations ‘a sick scare story’ - from Pink News - all the latest gay news from the gay community - Pink News

So he's not opposing the discriminatory views, expressed and recorded by the shadow Home Secretary?

Oh dear.

Perhaps things haven't really changed very much at all.


The ghost of section 28 | Martin Popplewell | Comment is free | The Guardian

[garinda]

Originally Posted by andrewb

Nobody said anything about his opinion being less valid because he's gay?

I just wondered out of all the people you could have chosen, you decided to target him.

[andrewb]

Originally Posted by garinda

I just wondered out of all the people you could have chosen, you decided to target him.

Because he's a Labour minister who jumps at the chance to acuse the Tories of homophobia? So what if he's gay or straight! The political correctness has gone to your head.

[garinda]

Since she's apparently so keen on 'Family Values', what our Conservative candidate's stance would be on this issue, would be interesting to know.

Should people have the right to refuse accommodation, when they've decided to run their home as a business, to people who they don't like, based on sexuality, colour, or whatever else they might have an abhorrence for personally.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by andrewb

Because he's a Labour minister who jumps at the chance to acuse the Tories of homophobia? So what if he's gay or straight! The political correctness has gone to your head.

Perhaps you know better, but I've not seen him 'jump' on matters of discrimination, more so than any other minister.

By your targeting him, it seems you think he has more of an agenda, than anyone else.

Discrimination is wrong.

Period.

As I hope even Alan Duncan acknowlegdes, despite his refusal to condemn Chris Grayling's homophobic views.

Incidentally it's just been on the BBC news that Grayling is standing by his comments.

Oh dear.

Not much real change at all then.

[garinda]

'Instead he (shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling) has shown himself to be a hypocritical careerist toad, biting the bullet and swallowing his beliefs for a sniff of power. It's a mess, and safe to say even if he clings on for the next five weeks, he won't be won't be taking up an office anywhere near Horseferry Road.'
Tory Bear - right-wing political gossip: Chris Gayling

But he still remains securely seated in Cameron's Shadow Cabinet.

[steeljack]

Sorry , but my thinking is , if I owned/operated a BB inside MY home and a bunch of "rappers/gang bangers" turned up using the word "Mothaf---er" or "yo bitch" every second word I would hope I would have some legal protection to refuse them a crib for the night , same as if I was the landlord of a family "type" pub who used (maybe still has) the right to refuse service to the foul mouthed .
Should an 'ethnic' owned BB on Brick Lane (London) be forced to accept a family group of BNP supporters in town to celebrate the election of their partys MPs to Westminster , I'm thinking the BB owners would be let off as the actions of the BNP would be seen as provocative .

[garinda]

Originally Posted by steeljack

Sorry , but my thinking is , if I owned/operated a BB inside MY home and a bunch of "rappers/gang bangers" turned up using the word "Mothaf---er" or "yo bitch" every second word I would hope I would have some legal protection to refuse them a crib for the night , same as if I was the landlord of a family "type" pub who used (maybe still has) the right to refuse service to the foul mouthed .
Should an 'ethnic' owned BB on Brick Lane (London) be forced to accept a family group of BNP supporters in town to celebrate the election of their partys MPs to Westminster , I'm thinking the BB owners would be let off as the actions of the BNP would be seen as provocative .

Legally you 'have the right to terminate a stay without refund or compensation, where unreasonable behaviour of the persons named on the booking form, or their guests, might impair the enjoyment, comfort, or health of other guests or resident owner.'

If you demand the right to vet who stays at your bed and breakfast, perhaps opening this sort of business isn't really one you should be running in Your home.

Happily the shadow Justice Secretary seems a little more switched on.

'Dominic Grieve, the shadow Justice Secretary, said that B&Bs should not be able to discriminate, The Independent has learnt. "If you decide you are going to turn your home into a bed and breakfast, you are providing a public service and you have to accept that you cannot discriminate over who stays there," Mr Grieve said.'

"If you can't accept that then you are in the wrong business. It is no different from a Muslim taxi driver refusing to take a blind person because they think the dog is dirty: the law states you must take the blind person. You have no recourse to argue."
Gay rights row engulfs Tories after Grayling gaffe - UK Politics, UK - The Independent

'Gay couples aren't barging into people's homes and demanding a bed for the night. They are simply trying to use a publicly advertised service, without having the door slammed in their face because of a harmless natural difference they were probably born with.'
Johann Hari: How is this different from turning away black couples? - Johann Hari, Commentators - The Independent