Harperson: Equality apparently doesn't extend as far as gingers

**Chris** · 30-10-2010, 16:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBC

Deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman has apologised for branding Chief Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander a "ginger rodent".
Ms Harman - a former equalities minister - made the comments at the Scottish Labour conference in Oban.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...itics-11658228

At least her personal spin doctor had the good sense to send out a press release telling everyone Hattie has apologised. Although I don't imagine she's going to get up in front of the Party faithful in Oban and make her apology as loudly as she made her original comments.

Silly person.

30-10-2010, 16:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...itics-11658228

At least her personal spin doctor had the good sense to send out a press release telling everyone Hattie has apologised. Although I don't imagine she's going to get up in front of the Party faithful in Oban and make her apology as loudly as she made her original comments.

Silly person.

I heard this on the news this afternoon driving up the A19 from work and nearly crashed the van

.

Ignitionnet · 30-10-2010, 16:56

He's male. Enough said.

Mr_love_monkey · 30-10-2010, 17:14

he _does_ look like a rodent though...

30-10-2010, 17:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_love_monkey

he _does_ look like a rodent though...

and he's definately ginger

Pierre · 30-10-2010, 18:20

He's a ginger chinless wonder

**Maggy** · 30-10-2010, 18:24

I should imagine that he has a thicker skin than most MPs if the bullying he has endured growing up matches up to some of the comments already posted here.

Tezcatlipoca · 30-10-2010, 18:29

http://twitter.com/dannyalexander/status/29188404196

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danny Alexander via Twitter

I am proud to be ginger and rodents do valuable work cleaning up mess others leave behind. Red squirrel deserves to survive, unlike Labour

30-10-2010, 18:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt D

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danny Alexander via Twitter
I am proud to be ginger and rodents do valuable work cleaning up mess others leave behind. Red squirrel deserves to survive, unlike Labour

http://twitter.com/dannyalexander/status/29188404196

class answer

**Chris** · 30-10-2010, 18:42

Yes ... alexander has taken the comment in good humour. Sad that the comment clearly wasn't offered in good humour. It made for unpleasant viewing to be honest, with Hattie lapping up the sychophantic cheering from the floor.

Although the two decidedly gingerish women on the platform are clearly not as amused as their colleagues:

Tezcatlipoca · 30-10-2010, 18:46

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2...-ginger-rodent

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guardian

The joke about Alexander, the MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, was greeted with laughter in the hall. However, it backfired as Harman found herself accused of insulting all Scotland's redheads.

George Lyon, Scottish Liberal Democrat election chair, said: "There are no depths to which Labour will not stoop. They aren't fit to be in opposition, let alone in government."

The SNP also hit out at the Labour deputy leader over her "childish abuse" of Alexander. Nationalist MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville said the high number of redheads in Scotland meant the "silly remark isn't anti-Danny or anti-Lib Dem, it's anti-Scottish".

Ms Somerville, herself a redhead, said: "It's a gaffe that is overshadowing what Iain Gray thinks should be his big day. Coming from the doyenne of po-faced political correctness, these remarks show she and Labour have lost the plot since losing the election."

Stupid enough comment to make anyway, but to say it in a country in which the hair colour in question is rather common was even more stupid.

**Maggy** · 30-10-2010, 19:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt D

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2...-ginger-rodent

Stupid enough comment to make anyway, but to say it in a country in which the hair colour in question is rather common was even more stupid.

Twas a stupid comment in view of how many are citizens across the UK as a whole as well as in her constituency.

Osem · 30-10-2010, 20:55

Harman is just as obnoxious and bigoted as any of the MCP brigade the behviour of whom she claims to despise.

**Paul** · 30-10-2010, 23:58

Seems rather like a whole bunch of people, totally unrelated to the comment are (as usual) getting offended on behalf of the actual target - who seems to have taken it on the chin and replied rather well.

**Maggy** · 31-10-2010, 00:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul M

Seems rather like a whole bunch of people, totally unrelated to the comment are (as usual) getting offended on behalf of the actual target - who seems to have taken it on the chin and replied rather well.

Well coming from a stand up comic maybe Paul..but not from an MP and to be honest having seen how youngsters who are ginger get bullied relentlessly about their hair colour I can't help but be offended on their behalf.Substitute black for ginger or even the N word and it might make some sense of how it is offensive.