Foreign Secretary David Lammy defends calling Trump a 'neo-Nazi sociopath'
David Lammy has defended calling Donald Trump a neo-Nazi sociopath, saying all politicians had something to say about the former US president "back in the day".
When he was a backbench MP in 2018, the now-foreign secretary wrote in Time magazine of the then-American leader: "Trump is not only a woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath. He is also a profound threat to the international order that has been the foundation of Western progress for so long."
The problem here is the obvious one, not that Lammy was wrong, but what he wrote was stupid. It's the kind of low grade sub-Guardian rhetoric seen in online comments. Not something an aspiring UK politician should ever have written for Time magazine.
Maybe that's why Starmer made him Foreign Secretary, Lammy makes Starmer look like a statesman and this seems important to him. For one thing, it's crucial for his EU shenanigans.
From what we have seen so far, could Starmer have been this cynical in the Lammy appointment?
Yes.
Yes.
4 comments:
The interviewer on the today programme this morning was quite persistent and aggressive about this, and it was significant that he had prepared responses, but he was not happy. Politicians still see the value of consistency, or at least pretending to be consistent. Which means that the internet never forgetting anything is still a potent weapon.
I hope people keep up the pressure on this. It will mean that it boxes him in and denies him room to operate; and also that those stupid kids who are seen petulantly arguing with coppers after committing politically-inspired criminal damage will be reluctant to take their nonsense any higher.
When Mr Smarmer needs to show how tough he is he can re-shuffle Lammy-brain into a non-cabinet post.
I'm looking forward to Brexit (= Brandon exit).
Sam - yes, thanks to the internet never forgetting, Starmer has also stumbled over the consistency problem. It may be more damaging than we know as internet users and even journalists find it easy to accumulate these things and give them an airing every now and then.
dearieme - a toughness demonstration Smarmer may have to try unless Lammy treads very carefully and he doesn't seem to be particularly good at that.
I'm looking forward to a Brandon exit as well, particularly the contorted explanations.
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