Boris Johnson is a liability.

[AM9]

Whatever BJ thinks about how clever his latest outburst is as part of his bid to become PM, I think that he has shot his party in the foot again. Brandon Lewis must be desperate for Johnson to apologise so that the matter can be swept under the carpet asap. If the matter drags on for long, it will destroy any moral high ground that they might think they have over the Labour Party with its anti-semitic issues. Some members of the Government are so far out of touch with modern UK society.
Things could be quite entertaining.

Boris Johnson has stood by his remarks about the burka after the Conservative Party chairman told him to apologise.

The former foreign secretary has been criticised for saying Muslim women wearing burkas "look like letter boxes" and comparing them to "bank robbers".

 

[gnolife]

Whatever BJ thinks about how clever his latest outburst is as part of his bid to become PM, I think that he has shot his party in the foot again. Brandon Lewis must be desperate for Johnson to apologise so that the matter can be swept under the carpet asap. If the matter drags on for long, it will destroy any moral high ground that they might think they have over the Labour Party with its anti-semitic issues. Some members of the Government are so far out of touch with modern UK society.
Things could be quite entertaining.

What's he said this time?

 

[Up_Tilt_390]

I think this thread deserves a "state the obvious" award. In all seriousness though, the Conservative Party, with or without BoJo, can't ever claim moral high ground over the Labour Party based on some of their policies done the past eight years, never mind some of the ones proposed in last year's manifesto before their embarrassing election result. Either way, I couldn't care less as to what Boris Johnson says so long as he's kept out of power for as long as his career goes on. If he ever was the option at an election, give me a Labour-lead Jeremy Corbyn any day...

 

[fishquinn]

What's he said this time?

That muslim women in burkas look like letterboxes
Led to an interesting debate on 5 live earlier.

 

[radamfi]

Like Trump, he's untouchable, especially now he's only a backbencher.

 

[AM9]

What's he said this time?

And bank robbers.

 

[AM9]

Like Trump, he's untouchable, especially now he's only a backbencher.

He might be untouchable because he hasn't got a job apart from being an MP, but he's still able to damage the Conservatives (the party, not just the PM) so he won't be thanked for his latest indiscretion, - except by the Leaver islamophobes.

 

[NSEFAN]

The entire Cabinet is a bloody liability.

It's a bit rich of Boris to poke fun of Islamic dress, given his own poor aesthetics.

 

[Geezertronic]

...except by the Leaver islamophobes.

What a stupid thing to say...

I see them all the time when travelling in and around Birmingham. Even seen them wearing the garment on ID cards when I worked in Birmingham though how you could actually identify one from the other is beyond me.

 

[AM9]

What a stupid thing to say...

I see them all the time when travelling in and around Birmingham. Even seen them wearing the garment on ID cards when I worked in Birmingham though how you could actually identify one from the other is beyond me.

I've never seen an islamaphobe's ID card nor have I noticed their garments.

 

[Puffing Devil]

I've never seen an islamaphobe's ID card nor have I noticed their garments.

Where's the LOL button when you need one?

 

[radamfi]

What a stupid thing to say...

I see them all the time when travelling in and around Birmingham. Even seen them wearing the garment on ID cards when I worked in Birmingham though how you could actually identify one from the other is beyond me.

This shows that there is method to Johnson's apparent madness. Yes, it may seem crazy to say what he has said, but there will be many people who secretly (or even openly) agree with it. Who are people tipping for future leadership? Rees-Mogg and Johnson. Both say things that are unpalatable to many, but that's totally intentional.

 

[AlterEgo]

Boris is an idiot. The issue of full face veils is important to some people and he’s plodded in with some rather insensitive language. Any hope of a reasonable discussion for the immediate future is lost.

 

[trash80]

It is all about Brand Boris

 

[Geezertronic]

I've never seen an islamaphobe's ID card nor have I noticed their garments.

Stupid is as stupid does...

 

[deltic]

Boris is campaigning for leadership of the Tory party - its membership and hence his electorate's average age was claimed to be 72 although a fact check suggested it was closer to 57. That is the only audience which is important to him right now and that is who he is targeting - he is not daft he knows that if the vote goes to the members he is a sure fire winner if he keeps pushing their buttons on Brexit, Islam and wouldnt it be wonderful if we could return to our past glories (whatever they were) - the majority of Tory MPs on the other hand cant stand him which is why he pulled his leadership bid when Gove knifed him rather than be humilated

 

[mmh]

It's no news to anyone that Boris Johnson likes media attention, but I'll stick my neck out here as someone who's had the opportunity to vote for him but didn't, and probably never would.

What in the article are you all up in arms about?

 

[Darandio]

That muslim women in burkas look like letterboxes

Billy Connolly once called them bottles of Guinness with a wee window. I laughed, i'm probably a terrible person.

 

[ASharpe]

Any hope of a reasonable discussion for the immediate future is lost.

The way I see it Boris saw that there was no opportunity for discussion and so stuck his oar in to create one. I think there is a legitimate concern that in some communities women's engagement in society is restricted by men.

In that one article Boris stood up for peoples freedoms to wear (or indeed not wear) whatever they like but expressed concerns for the oppressed.

 

[AM9]

The way I see it Boris saw that there was no opportunity for discussion and so stuck his oar in to create one. I think there is a legitimate concern that in some communities women's engagement in society is restricted by men.

In that one article Boris stood up for peoples freedoms to wear (or indeed not wear) whatever they like but expressed concerns for the oppressed.

There's not much wrong with his discourse on the right to wear Burkas and Hijabs even using Denmarks recent banning of them as an example. However, he couldn't resist abusing wearers of these garments by describing them to 'pillar boxes' or 'bank robbers'. Now not only does that invalidate the earlier comments about the right to wear them, but it insults those who culture exercises that right, possibly in an inflammatory way. Not much of an election pitch for a PM.

 

[Bromley boy]

There's not much wrong with his discourse on the right to wear Burkas and Hijabs even using Denmarks recent banning of them as an example. However, he couldn't resist abusing wearers of these garments by describing them to 'pillar boxes' or 'bank robbers'. Now not only does that invalidate the earlier comments about the right to wear them, but it insults those who culture exercises that right, possibly in an inflammatory way. Not much of an election pitch for a PM.

Do you honestly think that’s a desirable “right” when many women around the world are forced to wear these appalling and dehumanising garments against their will, on pain of being beaten or imprisoned (they were mandatory in IS controlled territory)?

Your penultimate sentence is particularly ironic: I think you’ll find the culture you reference isn’t in favour of giving women any rights at all.

Even some predominantly Islamic states, such as Turkey, have an uneasy relationship with the burqua. So why on Earth a load of naive lefties in the U.K. are clamouring for the “rights” of women to wear these instruments of female oppression is anyone’s guess!

 

[Bromley boy]

If he ever was the option at an election, give me a Labour-lead Jeremy Corbyn any day...

I generally agree with your (articulate and thought provoking) postings.

But not this one!

 

[GusB]

I think this thread deserves a "state the obvious" award. In all seriousness though, the Conservative Party, with or without BoJo, can't ever claim moral high ground over the Labour Party based on some of their policies done the past eight years, never mind some of the ones proposed in last year's manifesto before their embarrassing election result. Either way, I couldn't care less as to what Boris Johnson says so long as he's kept out of power for as long as his career goes on. If he ever was the option at an election, give me a Labour-lead Jeremy Corbyn any day...

I generally agree with your (articulate and thought provoking) postings.

That would be a spoiled ballot paper from me.

 

[Bromley boy]

That would be a spoiled ballot paper from me.

BoJo would be a blonder, foppish, version of DC.

He couldn’t be worse than who we currently have in the hot seat!

 

[mmh]

There's not much wrong with his discourse on the right to wear Burkas and Hijabs even using Denmarks recent banning of them as an example. However, he couldn't resist abusing wearers of these garments by describing them to 'pillar boxes' or 'bank robbers'. Now not only does that invalidate the earlier comments about the right to wear them, but it insults those who culture exercises that right, possibly in an inflammatory way. Not much of an election pitch for a PM.

Whether you agree with his political standing or not, you seem to have missed the point he was, deliberately controversial or not, making. Other European countries (apparently far more progressive ones than Britain, or so we're constantly told) have had this debate in public and even introduced laws over it (the usual suspects on here have been very silent about this, perhaps the ECJ only counts when it works in your own favour). Why can't we? Johnson's take seems to be that it shouldn't be for the state to dictate dress codes, and that it'd be better for society to ridicule it than create unnecessary legislation.

He's right. Call me whatever you may, I'm not about to defend a horrendous medieaval style symbol of the oppression of women.

 

[Bromley boy]

Whether you agree with his political standing or not, you seem to have missed the point he was, deliberately controversial or not, making. Other European countries (apparently far more progressive ones than Britain, or so we're constantly told) have had this debate in public and even introduced laws over it (the usual suspects on here have been very silent about this, perhaps the ECJ only counts when it works in your own favour). Why can't we? Johnson's take seems to be that it shouldn't be for the state to dictate dress codes, and that it'd be better for society to ridicule it than create unnecessary legislation.

He's right. Call me whatever you may, I'm not about to defend a horrendous medieaval style symbol of the oppression of women.

Nail on head.

 

[bnm]

What's with that ridiculous curly hair Hasidic Jews have? Makes them look like Shirley Temple on the Good Ship Lollipop.

And that shtreimel? Why would you walk around with what looks like a large fruit cake on your head?

As for the women and their sheitels. I've seen better wigs in a fancy dress shop.

It's okay. Just making religious garb a target of fun. Like Boris was. Apparently. Not at all racist. Honest.



Now, should the UK ban the niqāb and burqa? Possibly, on the grounds that it prevents easy identification. Let's not make it about oppression of woman. Some chose face coverings of their own free will. If we do go for a ban then I want to see the wearing of any face covering that prevents identification banned. Specifically the scarves, dark glasses and hats/hoods worn by far right knuckle draggers on their marches. Let the world see their faces. Then family, friends and most importantly employers (current and potential) can see just what lovely people they are.

Turn up in public with your face covered without good cause (medical, safety) then its removal at request of Plod or arrest.

 

[deltic]

Men telling women what they can or cannot wear is never a good idea

 

[AlterEgo]

Men telling women what they can or cannot wear is never a good idea

It’s difficult to tell if you’re aiming that at Johnson or the minority of Muslim men who enforce the wearing of the niqab.

Just for clarity, the “pillar box” garment with a slit is a niqab. I have seen this worn a lot in Britain. What I’ve never ever seen in this country is a burqa, which you’ll see in places like Afghanistan - like a niqab but with a mesh over the opening for the eyes.

 

[deltic]

It was aimed at both