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Tuesday 8 February 2022

The apology game



Boris Johnson: PM 'won't apologise' for Savile remark to Starmer as Commons speaker warns MPs 'words have consequences'

On Monday evening, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was bundled into the back of a police car after being confronted by protesters shouting "traitor" and "Jimmy Savile" at him.

The details of this spat are well known, but this nonsense does highlight how mired we are in a pitifully weak apology culture. 

"The prime minister clarified his remarks last week to make clear he was not suggesting Keir Starmer was individually responsible for the Savile decision," the spokesman said.

"I think the prime minister was making a political point about taking responsibility for organisations as a whole."

Quite - so shrug it off and move on.

4 comments:

dearieme said...

Surely the DPP tells his staff that there are several sorts of prosecutions on which they must consult him e.g. (i) one that might turn on an important point of law, (ii) one involving celebrities, (iii) one involving VIPs especially MPs, (iv) one that might invite unwelcome publicity for the prosecution service.

If not he is incompetent.

dearieme said...

Come to think of it, (v) one involving policemen or members of his own staff.

Sam Vega said...

It is now obvious that the bunch who shouted abuse at Starmer were extremist anti- vaxxers in his own party. I heard little about Savile in the video. The episode was only a couple of political notches higher than those shouty drunks ambushing Whitty.

So yes, an apology is due. From the BBC, Labourite twitter-twats, and Tory MPs who have declared against Boris already. In that order.

A K Haart said...

dearieme - I agree, he is incompetent for those reasons. Worse than a glass of wine and some nibbles after work.

Sam - yes an apology is due from those who try to turn everything into an anti-Boris story. Not that we'll see one.