'Jared O'Mara, 36, made homophobic remarks, joked about having an orgy with members of Girls Aloud and posted degrading comments about fat people...In posts made on the Drowned in Sound music website in 2004, Mr O'Mara claimed singer Michelle McManus only won Pop Idol "because she was fat" and said it would be funny if jazz star Jamie Cullum was "sodomised with his own piano".' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-41724540
Though to be fair to him stupid though they were the comments were made years before he was even a parliamentary candidate.
Just as Labour are having a punch up over O'Mara, in wades a Tory MP once again. Sometimes Napoleon's comment about never interrupting an enemy whilst making a mistake helps focus the mind.
Why is anyone surprised? His penchant for violence and misogyny fit well with Corbyn's Labour. See here and here. Labour appear to have forgotten that Fascism started on the left, for that is clearly the way they are moving out of either complacency or viciousness.
I see Guido has been going after the Sheffield Hallam MP today, not for the first time. Anyone know why, particularly? Sounds like the guy has been a real bell-end in the past, but its not as though that is something so unusual to be worthy of such attention.
He was one of the reasons I voted Lib Dem for the first team.
He’s like a student politician cum troll with the defence I have cerebral palsy, so I can’t possibly be discriminatory.
Seriously? The voters of Sheffield replaced Nick Clegg with this guy?
Shitty replacements are all the rage.
Cf replacing David Cameron with the pound shop Gordon Brown and Len Goodman with Shirley Ballas
Ballas is fucking miles better than Goodman. Miles better.
I'll pretend you didn't type that.
Having a judge who actually explains what is going on rather than delivering stilted 'spontaneous' lines is a bit of a novelty I suppose that may be jarring.
Just as Labour are having a punch up over O'Mara, in wades a Tory MP once again. Sometimes Napoleon's comment about never interrupting an enemy whilst making a mistake helps focus the mind.
I see Guido has been going after the Sheffield Hallam MP today, not for the first time. Anyone know why, particularly? Sounds like the guy has been a real bell-end in the past, but its not as though that is something so unusual to be worthy of such attention.
He was one of the reasons I voted Lib Dem for the first team.
He’s like a student politician cum troll with the defence I have cerebral palsy, so I can’t possibly be discriminatory.
Seriously? The voters of Sheffield replaced Nick Clegg with this guy?
Shitty replacements are all the rage.
Cf replacing David Cameron with the pound shop Gordon Brown and Len Goodman with Shirley Ballas
Ballas is fucking miles better than Goodman. Miles better.
I'll pretend you didn't type that.
Having a judge who actually explains what is going on rather than delivering stilted 'spontaneous' lines is a bit of a novelty I suppose that may be jarring.
Don't worry, you'll be fine until you talk about making a pizza with Pineapple topping in the shape of Hannibal's head with a message picked out underneath 'Radiohead are shit.'
I see Guido has been going after the Sheffield Hallam MP today, not for the first time. Anyone know why, particularly? Sounds like the guy has been a real bell-end in the past, but its not as though that is something so unusual to be worthy of such attention.
He was one of the reasons I voted Lib Dem for the first team.
He’s like a student politician cum troll with the defence I have cerebral palsy, so I can’t possibly be discriminatory.
Seriously? The voters of Sheffield replaced Nick Clegg with this guy?
Shitty replacements are all the rage.
Cf replacing David Cameron with the pound shop Gordon Brown and Len Goodman with Shirley Ballas
Ballas is fucking miles better than Goodman. Miles better.
I'll pretend you didn't type that.
Having a judge who actually explains what is going on rather than delivering stilted 'spontaneous' lines is a bit of a novelty I suppose that may be jarring.
I hate Labour more than anyone, in fact I'd be delighted if the whole party was accidentally blasted off into space, but these comments were on a messageboard years ago when he was 21. Who cares? Are we really that pathetic that we're going to hound out MPs for that?
Besides it would indeed be funny if Jamie Cullum was sodomised with his own piano.
So are we all going to ignore that all these comments were made around 15 years ago, when the individual was in his early 20s?
Can everyone on their high horse about this swear blind that they never made similarly stupid comments at that age?
Sorry, objecting to stuff like this is "getting on one's high horse" because boys will be boys and which of us didn't go through a thoroughly harmless phase of gay-hating and misogyny in our younger, but adult, days, is it?
Go on, say "harmless banter". I dare you. I double dare you.
So are we all going to ignore that all these comments were made around 15 years ago, when the individual was in his early 20s?
Can everyone on their high horse about this swear blind that they never made similarly stupid comments at that age?
Sorry, objecting to stuff like this is "getting on one's high horse" because boys will be boys and which of us didn't go through a thoroughly harmless phase of gay-hating and misogyny in our younger, but adult, days, is it?
Go on, say "harmless banter". I dare you. I double dare you.
It doesn't need to be dismissed as harmless banter to be irrelevant. The true glory of the human condition is that we can change and grow, we are not stuck at being who we were when we were born or at any other stage of our lives.
The important point here is whether the gentleman in question currently holds those despicable views, or, if he has truly changed, can he demonstrate how he has really changed?
Certainly, I have held views in the past before I knew better that I would be ashamed of now. If anything, having had the differing views on those issues in the past makes me a stronger advocate for the 'better' opinion/view now.
So are we all going to ignore that all these comments were made around 15 years ago, when the individual was in his early 20s?
Can everyone on their high horse about this swear blind that they never made similarly stupid comments at that age?
Sorry, objecting to stuff like this is "getting on one's high horse" because boys will be boys and which of us didn't go through a thoroughly harmless phase of gay-hating and misogyny in our younger, but adult, days, is it?
Go on, say "harmless banter". I dare you. I double dare you.
"Misogynistic", give me a break - if you're referring to the Girls Aloud "orgy" comments then similarly sexualised comments about women are made on here all the time. SeanT says similar in every alternate post and nobody here ever objects. Making idle online comments about it is a long way from actually doing something like it in real life.
So are we all going to ignore that all these comments were made around 15 years ago, when the individual was in his early 20s?
Can everyone on their high horse about this swear blind that they never made similarly stupid comments at that age?
Yep. As far as I can see used inappropriate and unacceptable language 15 - 20 years ago. He should just apologise and that should be enough.
I say this as someone who is very sceptical about the politics he represents. But i'm also exhausted at having to constantly avoid offending people. It makes me extremely guarded in any public situation and incredibly wary of public life. One slip and you're finished.
Call off the witchhunts.
You really think if it had been a UKIP officer or councillor you would have been saying the same thing? Or even a Tory?
And that would have been an overreaction. In the internet age, ludicrous drunken youthful opinions last forever.
How many of us on pb could have become an MP, after a scrutiny of every pub conversation we had since the age of 16? We need to recalibrate. Or we will be governed by eerie teetotal eunuchs.
He may be a lefty, but I have sympathy. I have equal sympathy for right wing youngsters who get a bit Mussolini.
I think the bigger issue is that if you read the posts containing the words, he comes over as rather dense.
If Jared O'Mara were in UKIP, he wouldn't be given the benefit of the doubt when he says that his views have radically changed. As a Labour MP, he probably will.
If I were Jeremy Corbyn, I'd devise something like community service for him.
So are we all going to ignore that all these comments were made around 15 years ago, when the individual was in his early 20s?
Can everyone on their high horse about this swear blind that they never made similarly stupid comments at that age?
Sorry, objecting to stuff like this is "getting on one's high horse" because boys will be boys and which of us didn't go through a thoroughly harmless phase of gay-hating and misogyny in our younger, but adult, days, is it?
Go on, say "harmless banter". I dare you. I double dare you.
"Misogynistic", give me a break - if you're referring to the Girls Aloud "orgy" comments then similarly sexualised comments about women are made on here all the time. SeanT says "worse" in every alternate post and nobody here ever objects.
And that would have been an overreaction. In the internet age, ludicrous drunken youthful opinions last forever.
How many of us on pb could have become an MP, after a scrutiny of every pub conversation we had since the age of 16? We need to recalibrate. Or we will be governed by eerie teetotal eunuchs.
He may be a lefty, but I have sympathy. I have equal sympathy for right wing youngsters who get a bit Mussolini.
I think the bigger issue is that if you read the posts containing the words, he comes over as rather dense.
That's not a great quality in a legislator.
That hasn't held back Corbyn, or Liam Fox, or Tim Farron.
I'm more concerned that he seems (a) to have put them into practice (b) that just saying silly things is excusable, writing a song praising them really isn't and (c) he's trying to excuse/defend his actions rather than fess up to them.
So are we all going to ignore that all these comments were made around 15 years ago, when the individual was in his early 20s?
Can everyone on their high horse about this swear blind that they never made similarly stupid comments at that age?
Sorry, objecting to stuff like this is "getting on one's high horse" because boys will be boys and which of us didn't go through a thoroughly harmless phase of gay-hating and misogyny in our younger, but adult, days, is it?
Go on, say "harmless banter". I dare you. I double dare you.
"Misogynistic", give me a break - if you're referring to the Girls Aloud "orgy" comments then similarly sexualised comments about women are made on here all the time. SeanT says "worse" in every alternate post and nobody here ever objects.
So are we all going to ignore that all these comments were made around 15 years ago, when the individual was in his early 20s?
Can everyone on their high horse about this swear blind that they never made similarly stupid comments at that age?
Sorry, objecting to stuff like this is "getting on one's high horse" because boys will be boys and which of us didn't go through a thoroughly harmless phase of gay-hating and misogyny in our younger, but adult, days, is it?
Go on, say "harmless banter". I dare you. I double dare you.
"Misogynistic", give me a break - if you're referring to the Girls Aloud "orgy" comments then similarly sexualised comments about women are made on here all the time. SeanT says "worse" in every alternate post and nobody here ever objects.
The two are mutually exclusive. However I got this from a link in the earlier article and I can't see any particular reason for the writer of the open letter to lie.
Without further investigation it must be considered a possibility that she is wrong/exaggerating/inventing. Equally it seems plausible and he clearly has a much better reason to lie - as well as being rather untrustworthy to start with.
So are we all going to ignore that all these comments were made around 15 years ago, when the individual was in his early 20s?
Can everyone on their high horse about this swear blind that they never made similarly stupid comments at that age?
Yep. As far as I can see used inappropriate and unacceptable language 15 - 20 years ago. He should just apologise and that should be enough.
I say this as someone who is very sceptical about the politics he represents. But i'm also exhausted at having to constantly avoid offending people. It makes me extremely guarded in any public situation and incredibly wary of public life. One slip and you're finished.
Call off the witchhunts.
You really think if it had been a UKIP officer or councillor you would have been saying the same thing? Or even a Tory?
I doubt it somehow.
I suppose it largely depends on whether they are saying it now or said it in the past. If something someone does now betrays some racist or homophobic sympathies that they are denying in public life - well yes that is something that should be exposed. But things that happened 20 years ago? That is ridiculous. Every single one of us has said things that we regret in the past.
“I made the comments as a young man, at a particularly difficult time in my life, but that is no excuse.”
No excuse, but I kinda wish he'd expanded on that bit.
Because it's key.
Bigotry and intolerance like that posted by this guy stems from insecurity.
Trashing others to make yourself feel better. Even when wrapped up in humour, it says everything about the person saying it and nothing about the target.
So are we all going to ignore that all these comments were made around 15 years ago, when the individual was in his early 20s?
Can everyone on their high horse about this swear blind that they never made similarly stupid comments at that age?
Yep. As far as I can see used inappropriate and unacceptable language 15 - 20 years ago. He should just apologise and that should be enough.
I say this as someone who is very sceptical about the politics he represents. But i'm also exhausted at having to constantly avoid offending people. It makes me extremely guarded in any public situation and incredibly wary of public life. One slip and you're finished.
Call off the witchhunts.
You really think if it had been a UKIP officer or councillor you would have been saying the same thing? Or even a Tory?
I doubt it somehow.
I suppose it largely depends on whether they are saying it now or said it in the past. If something someone does now betrays some racist or homophobic sympathies that they are denying in public life - well yes that is something that should be exposed. But things that happened 20 years ago? That is ridiculous. Every single one of us has said things that we regret in the past.
The problem of these witchhunts is a big one.
I agree. Unfortunately the amount of double standards and hypocrisy that is displayed regarding these misdemeanors depending on which party they belong to is staggering.
Edit: something that, to their credit, both Mike and Alastair have pointed out.
Seems like a bit of a cock in the past, but that's no bar to office. Heck, if he said these things last week it's no bar to office, so whether Corbyn or Labour do anything hardly matters.
So are we all going to ignore that all these comments were made around 15 years ago, when the individual was in his early 20s?
Can everyone on their high horse about this swear blind that they never made similarly stupid comments at that age?
Sorry, objecting to stuff like this is "getting on one's high horse" because boys will be boys and which of us didn't go through a thoroughly harmless phase of gay-hating and misogyny in our younger, but adult, days, is it?
Go on, say "harmless banter". I dare you. I double dare you.
"Misogynistic", give me a break - if you're referring to the Girls Aloud "orgy" comments then similarly sexualised comments about women are made on here all the time. SeanT says "worse" in every alternate post and nobody here ever objects.
The two are mutually exclusive. However I got this from a link in the earlier article and I can't see any particular reason for the writer of the open letter to lie.
Without further investigation it must be considered a possibility that she is wrong/exaggerating/inventing. Equally it seems plausible and he clearly has a much better reason to lie - as well as being rather untrustworthy to start with.
I think you need to be very careful about coming to any conclusions about these he said/ she said disputes.
“I made the comments as a young man, at a particularly difficult time in my life, but that is no excuse.”
No excuse, but I kinda wish he'd expanded on that bit.
Because it's key. .
I do too, because he says no excuse, but those words are about excusing it.
Storm in a tea cup though. I've said just as bad, but then I'm not on the committee that he is, and the only thing that would truly hit him now is if he's said stuff more recently, like the Clive Lewis backlash (not that that one will matter in the long run).
On the other hand, as has been noted, another key is how would he or his supporters react if it had been an opponent who said these things, no matter how long ago? So the train of condemnation is not unreasonable, even if it will swiftly become overblown.
So are we all going to ignore that all these comments were made around 15 years ago, when the individual was in his early 20s?
Can everyone on their high horse about this swear blind that they never made similarly stupid comments at that age?
Sorry, objecting to stuff like this is "getting on one's high horse" because boys will be boys and which of us didn't go through a thoroughly harmless phase of gay-hating and misogyny in our younger, but adult, days, is it?
Go on, say "harmless banter". I dare you. I double dare you.
"Misogynistic", give me a break - if you're referring to the Girls Aloud "orgy" comments then similarly sexualised comments about women are made on here all the time. SeanT says "worse" in every alternate post and nobody here ever objects.
The two are mutually exclusive. However I got this from a link in the earlier article and I can't see any particular reason for the writer of the open letter to lie.
Without further investigation it must be considered a possibility that she is wrong/exaggerating/inventing. Equally it seems plausible and he clearly has a much better reason to lie - as well as being rather untrustworthy to start with.
I think you need to be very careful about coming to any conclusions about these he said/ she said disputes.
I see Guido has been going after the Sheffield Hallam MP today, not for the first time. Anyone know why, particularly? Sounds like the guy has been a real bell-end in the past, but its not as though that is something so unusual to be worthy of such attention.
He was one of the reasons I voted Lib Dem for the first team.
He’s like a student politician cum troll with the defence I have cerebral palsy, so I can’t possibly be discriminatory.
Seriously? The voters of Sheffield replaced Nick Clegg with this guy?
Shitty replacements are all the rage.
Cf replacing David Cameron with the pound shop Gordon Brown and Len Goodman with Shirley Ballas
Ballas is fucking miles better than Goodman. Miles better.
I'll pretend you didn't type that.
Having a judge who actually explains what is going on rather than delivering stilted 'spontaneous' lines is a bit of a novelty I suppose that may be jarring.
Her marking is all over the shop
Strictly speaking, it ain't. She seems to be aware only of three numerals between one and ten...
One wonders if Labour were aware of these comments before selecting him as candidate? Were they aware and ignored them? Was he asked if there was anything that might be embarrassing under the carpet, and if so, how did he respond? One thing we can be certain of is that if he was a Tory the outrage din would be deafening.
Kind of wish he hadn't, to be honest, unless he's the same kind of person now as when he made those comments. A bit like Thornberry and her England flags moment - I didn't buy her explanation, but it was not a reason for her to be sacked.
And that would have been an overreaction. In the internet age, ludicrous drunken youthful opinions last forever.
How many of us on pb could have become an MP, after a scrutiny of every pub conversation we had since the age of 16? We need to recalibrate. Or we will be governed by eerie teetotal eunuchs.
He may be a lefty, but I have sympathy. I have equal sympathy for right wing youngsters who get a bit Mussolini.
I think the bigger issue is that if you read the posts containing the words, he comes over as rather dense.
The guy is a potty mouthwd twat, but we have loads of twats in this country and they need representation too.
For Gods sake, we have a Foreign Secretary who refers to picanninies with watermelon smiles!
One of the problems with snap elections is that there is little time to vet candidates, and that may be part of the problem!
Re Boris, I thought him and what he said when I saw what Nadine Dorris had tweeted.
It's why he was always an unwise pick for first Mayor of London - although that was the choice of London voters - and then Foreign Secretary, for which May has nobody to blame but herself.
So are we all going to ignore that all these comments were made around 15 years ago, when the individual was in his early 20s?
Can everyone on their high horse about this swear blind that they never made similarly stupid comments at that age?
Yep. As far as I can see used inappropriate and unacceptable language 15 - 20 years ago. He should just apologise and that should be enough.
I say this as someone who is very sceptical about the politics he represents. But i'm also exhausted at having to constantly avoid offending people. It makes me extremely guarded in any public situation and incredibly wary of public life. One slip and you're finished.
Call off the witchhunts.
You really think if it had been a UKIP officer or councillor you would have been saying the same thing? Or even a Tory?
I doubt it somehow.
I suppose it largely depends on whether they are saying it now or said it in the past. If something someone does now betrays some racist or homophobic sympathies that they are denying in public life - well yes that is something that should be exposed. But things that happened 20 years ago? That is ridiculous. Every single one of us has said things that we regret in the past.
The problem of these witchhunts is a big one.
I agree. Unfortunately the amount of double standards and hypocrisy that is displayed regarding these misdemeanors depending on which party they belong to is staggering.
Edit: something that, to their credit, both Mike and Alastair have pointed out.
Yep - it will be interesting to see how labour respond to it. But I think all parties need to step back from these kinds of witchhunts.
And that would have been an overreaction. In the internet age, ludicrous drunken youthful opinions last forever.
How many of us on pb could have become an MP, after a scrutiny of every pub conversation we had since the age of 16? We need to recalibrate. Or we will be governed by eerie teetotal eunuchs.
He may be a lefty, but I have sympathy. I have equal sympathy for right wing youngsters who get a bit Mussolini.
Well, quite - but you don't even have the excuse of being a youngster anymore.
Seems like a bit of a cock in the past, but that's no bar to office. Heck, if he said these things last week it's no bar to office, so whether Corbyn or Labour do anything hardly matters.
Agreed.
People should be able to say what the hell they like and be judged on it by the electorate.
Mind you as he's a Labour MP on the Equalities Committee he'd probably be the first to express mock outrage if it was a Tory MP, so you can't help but laugh.
The guy is a potty mouthwd twat, but we have loads of twats in this country and they need representation too.
For Gods sake, we have a Foreign Secretary who refers to picanninies with watermelon smiles!
One of the problems with snap elections is that there is little time to vet candidates, and that may be part of the problem!
Re Boris, I thought him and what he said when I saw what Nadine Dorris had tweeted.
It's why he was always an unwise pick for first Mayor of London - although that was the choice of London voters - and then Foreign Secretary, for which May has nobody to blame but herself.
His ability to say things beyond the norm, for good and ill, made him a good fit for Mayor of London IMO. The kind of flexibility and individualism that, as a negative, comes with the tendency to put one's foot in mouth as well, worked for the role.
And that would have been an overreaction. In the internet age, ludicrous drunken youthful opinions last forever.
How many of us on pb could have become an MP, after a scrutiny of every pub conversation we had since the age of 16? We need to recalibrate. Or we will be governed by eerie teetotal eunuchs.
He may be a lefty, but I have sympathy. I have equal sympathy for right wing youngsters who get a bit Mussolini.
Well, quite - but you don't even have the excuse of being a youngster anymore.
And I do not seek to represent the voters in Parliament.
If Jared O'Mara were in UKIP, he wouldn't be given the benefit of the doubt when he says that his views have radically changed.
True enough. Is there an accepted standard for how much time must pass between offensive view X and the present before one accepts those comments are unfortunate but no longer relevant, ranked on a party scale?
“I made the comments as a young man, at a particularly difficult time in my life, but that is no excuse.”
No excuse, but I kinda wish he'd expanded on that bit.
Because it's key.
Bigotry and intolerance like that posted by this guy stems from insecurity.
Trashing others to make yourself feel better.
If saying it was during a difficult time of your life is not an excuse, why bring it up?
Explanation does not equal excuse. But I agree, if it is not germane, leave it out. Keep it simple, but authentic - something along the lines of:
"I made those inexcusable statements then. I will not defend them nor seek to explain them, but seek your forgiveness. I do not hold those views now, and condemn them. I pledge to work against such views from this point on. This specifically is what I am going to do by [insert date]."
The guy is a potty mouthwd twat, but we have loads of twats in this country and they need representation too.
For Gods sake, we have a Foreign Secretary who refers to picanninies with watermelon smiles!
One of the problems with snap elections is that there is little time to vet candidates, and that may be part of the problem!
Re Boris, I thought him and what he said when I saw what Nadine Dorris had tweeted.
It's why he was always an unwise pick for first Mayor of London - although that was the choice of London voters - and then Foreign Secretary, for which May has nobody to blame but herself.
I think at the time many people thought May put him in that role to eliminate him as a future leadership rival.
I still think there’s a chance of him leading the Tories in the future though.
And that would have been an overreaction. In the internet age, ludicrous drunken youthful opinions last forever.
How many of us on pb could have become an MP, after a scrutiny of every pub conversation we had since the age of 16? We need to recalibrate. Or we will be governed by eerie teetotal eunuchs.
He may be a lefty, but I have sympathy. I have equal sympathy for right wing youngsters who get a bit Mussolini.
Well, quite - but you don't even have the excuse of being a youngster anymore.
And I do not seek to represent the voters in Parliament.
Probably a wise choice.
I don't think SeanT could afford the pay cut anyway
What the actual F? I think NOT having said a few stupid things as a youth in another decade entirely on a niche forum of the type devoted to flippant chat should be a greater bar to office, as that would be very suspicious indeed
This sorry episode really is bringing out the worst of the unholy, wretched Stasi-esque alliance between the Jess Phillipses and Guido Fawkeses of this world.
The guy is a potty mouthwd twat, but we have loads of twats in this country and they need representation too.
For Gods sake, we have a Foreign Secretary who refers to picanninies with watermelon smiles!
One of the problems with snap elections is that there is little time to vet candidates, and that may be part of the problem!
Re Boris, I thought him and what he said when I saw what Nadine Dorris had tweeted.
It's why he was always an unwise pick for first Mayor of London - although that was the choice of London voters - and then Foreign Secretary, for which May has nobody to blame but herself.
His ability to say things beyond the norm, for good and ill, made him a good fit for Mayor of London IMO. The kind of flexibility and individualism that, as a negative, comes with the tendency to put one's foot in mouth as well, worked for the role.
I have to say though that while Boris may have said some racist, stupid and unpleasant things, I have never yet heard any suggestion that he advocated violence against women or gays. That's what rather sets this apart.
The guy is a potty mouthwd twat, but we have loads of twats in this country and they need representation too.
For Gods sake, we have a Foreign Secretary who refers to picanninies with watermelon smiles!
One of the problems with snap elections is that there is little time to vet candidates, and that may be part of the problem!
Re Boris, I thought him and what he said when I saw what Nadine Dorris had tweeted.
It's why he was always an unwise pick for first Mayor of London - although that was the choice of London voters - and then Foreign Secretary, for which May has nobody to blame but herself.
His ability to say things beyond the norm, for good and ill, made him a good fit for Mayor of London IMO. The kind of flexibility and individualism that, as a negative, comes with the tendency to put one's foot in mouth as well, worked for the role.
I have to say though that while Boris may have said some racist, stupid and unpleasant things, I have never yet heard any suggestion that he advocated violence against women or gays. That's what rather sets this apart.
Wasn't comparing the two, merely commenting on Boris - O'Mara is too new in the role to give an indication as to whether he has skills that eclipse any present arsey behaviour, let alone make up for previous arsey behaviour.
If Jared O'Mara were in UKIP, he wouldn't be given the benefit of the doubt when he says that his views have radically changed.
True enough. Is there an accepted standard for how much time must pass between offensive view X and the present before one accepts those comments are unfortunate but no longer relevant, ranked on a party scale?
In an ideal world, the acceptable time would be zero minutes. If someone has had a genuine change of heart, why dwell in the past?
The hard part is knowing whether the change in heart is genuine or simply opportunistic because the perp has been caught ...
Ah, Ive just clocked why Mike is so sore and bonkers over this - sorry, being slow. The chap had the indecency to kick out the vile Lib Dem golden boy Nick Clegg, responsible for enabling one of the most pernicious and damaging governments ever.
And that would have been an overreaction. In the internet age, ludicrous drunken youthful opinions last forever.
How many of us on pb could have become an MP, after a scrutiny of every pub conversation we had since the age of 16? We need to recalibrate. Or we will be governed by eerie teetotal eunuchs.
He may be a lefty, but I have sympathy. I have equal sympathy for right wing youngsters who get a bit Mussolini.
Well, quite - but you don't even have the excuse of being a youngster anymore.
And I do not seek to represent the voters in Parliament.
Probably a wise choice.
I don't think SeanT could afford the pay cut anyway
And that would have been an overreaction. In the internet age, ludicrous drunken youthful opinions last forever.
How many of us on pb could have become an MP, after a scrutiny of every pub conversation we had since the age of 16? We need to recalibrate. Or we will be governed by eerie teetotal eunuchs.
He may be a lefty, but I have sympathy. I have equal sympathy for right wing youngsters who get a bit Mussolini.
Well, quite - but you don't even have the excuse of being a youngster anymore.
And I do not seek to represent the voters in Parliament.
Probably a wise choice.
I don't think SeanT could afford the pay cut anyway
He'd still get his royalties, surely?
Presumably but his all expenses paid travel writing trips would have to go by the wayside for constituency surgeries, canvassing and debates on the latest amendment to the Highways Bill.
Ah, Ive just clocked my Mike is so sore and bonkers over this - sorry, being slow. The chap had the indecency to kick out the vile Lib Dem golden boy Nick Clegg, responsible for enabling one of the most pernicious and damaging governments ever.
As I recall it was the British public who returned a hung parliament and our elected representatives responded accordingly and came to a mature, albeit flawed arrangement to ensure stable government for the length of the parliament rather than ask the public to think again, or subject us to a needless General Election which would have no guarantee of a more stable result.
What the actual F? I think NOT having said a few stupid things as a youth in another decade entirely on a niche forum of the type devoted to flippant chat should be a greater bar to office, as that would be very suspicious indeed
This sorry episode really is bringing out the worst of the unholy, wretched Stasi-esque alliance between the Jess Phillipses and Guido Fawkeses of this world.
Beyond satire.
Yeah, much as I liked Jess Phillips at first, she's making herself look rather moronic of late.
This sort of utter nonsense really sorts the genuinely independent minded righties from the mindless drones. Big up the likes of Sean T and Copper Sulphate for recognising it for the specious cack it is just because it is aimed at a political foe.
Ah, Ive just clocked why Mike is so sore and bonkers over this - sorry, being slow. The chap had the indecency to kick out the vile Lib Dem golden boy Nick Clegg, responsible for enabling one of the most pernicious and damaging governments ever.
So pernicious and damaging unemployment is now under half the amount Labour left in 2010 and borrowing is now at its lowest level since 2007. Indeed alongside the 1997-2001 and 1983-1987 government the 2010-2015 government was one of the top 3 governments of the last 50 years.
Comments
'Jared O'Mara, 36, made homophobic remarks, joked about having an orgy with members of Girls Aloud and posted degrading comments about fat people...In posts made on the Drowned in Sound music website in 2004, Mr O'Mara claimed singer Michelle McManus only won Pop Idol "because she was fat" and said it would be funny if jazz star Jamie Cullum was "sodomised with his own piano".'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-41724540
Though to be fair to him stupid though they were the comments were made years before he was even a parliamentary candidate.
Can everyone on their high horse about this swear blind that they never made similarly stupid comments at that age?
There are some things that are unforgivable!
Edit - or for any other reason, for that matter.
Besides it would indeed be funny if Jamie Cullum was sodomised with his own piano.
We must be prudes.
If your on the political left, you aren’t supposed to have these kind of homophobic and misogynistic opinions.
Go on, say "harmless banter". I dare you. I double dare you.
https://theharlequinpub.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/openletter.pdf
I don't know if it's true, but it seems to fit with the other stuff.
Anything over 16 foot except on the pedals for a full climax lacks class.
Edit - on mature reflection, an eight foot flute coupled to full swell would work.
The important point here is whether the gentleman in question currently holds those despicable views, or, if he has truly changed, can he demonstrate how he has really changed?
Certainly, I have held views in the past before I knew better that I would be ashamed of now. If anything, having had the differing views on those issues in the past makes me a stronger advocate for the 'better' opinion/view now.
(sorry!!)
I doubt it somehow.
Lieb Vaterland macht Ruhig sein...
I'm so glad it does.(Mrs Bach).
That's not a great quality in a legislator.
If I were Jeremy Corbyn, I'd devise something like community service for him.
I'm more concerned that he seems (a) to have put them into practice (b) that just saying silly things is excusable, writing a song praising them really isn't and (c) he's trying to excuse/defend his actions rather than fess up to them.
As of now though, the only thing that's confirmed are a few juvenile but hardly evil comments made when he was 21.
I saw Girls Aloud live six times, including their final ever gig.
This might be the finest cover version ever
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFVzQ9SaEj0
http://sybriefing.co.uk/2017/06/23/sheffield-hallam-mp-jared-omara-dismisses-allegations-misogyny-smear-attempt/
The two are mutually exclusive. However I got this from a link in the earlier article and I can't see any particular reason for the writer of the open letter to lie.
Without further investigation it must be considered a possibility that she is wrong/exaggerating/inventing. Equally it seems plausible and he clearly has a much better reason to lie - as well as being rather untrustworthy to start with.
The problem of these witchhunts is a big one.
“I made the comments as a young man, at a particularly difficult time in my life, but that is no excuse.”
No excuse, but I kinda wish he'd expanded on that bit.
Because it's key.
Bigotry and intolerance like that posted by this guy stems from insecurity.
Trashing others to make yourself feel better. Even when wrapped up in humour, it says everything about the person saying it and nothing about the target.
For Gods sake, we have a Foreign Secretary who refers to picanninies with watermelon smiles!
One of the problems with snap elections is that there is little time to vet candidates, and that may be part of the problem!
Edit: something that, to their credit, both Mike and Alastair have pointed out.
http://metro.co.uk/2017/10/23/jared-omara-mp-quits-equalities-committee-after-offensive-comments-7022185/
Storm in a tea cup though. I've said just as bad, but then I'm not on the committee that he is, and the only thing that would truly hit him now is if he's said stuff more recently, like the Clive Lewis backlash (not that that one will matter in the long run).
On the other hand, as has been noted, another key is how would he or his supporters react if it had been an opponent who said these things, no matter how long ago? So the train of condemnation is not unreasonable, even if it will swiftly become overblown.
She seems to be aware only of three numerals between one and ten...
People should be able to say what the hell they like and be judged on it by the electorate.
Mind you as he's a Labour MP on the Equalities Committee he'd probably be the first to express mock outrage if it was a Tory MP, so you can't help but laugh.
"I made those inexcusable statements then. I will not defend them nor seek to explain them, but seek your forgiveness. I do not hold those views now, and condemn them. I pledge to work against such views from this point on. This specifically is what I am going to do by [insert date]."
I still think there’s a chance of him leading the Tories in the future though.
This sorry episode really is bringing out the worst of the unholy, wretched Stasi-esque alliance between the Jess Phillipses and Guido Fawkeses of this world.
Beyond satire.
The hard part is knowing whether the change in heart is genuine or simply opportunistic because the perp has been caught ...
The chap had the indecency to kick out the vile Lib Dem golden boy Nick Clegg, responsible for enabling one of the most pernicious and damaging governments ever.
Although for a nano-second I thought you had written The Who!!
And boy was I cross with myself.
Do you know what's almost worse? None of them actually noticed my brilliant word painting!