As right-wing, male Labour MPs attempt to defend the indefensible – the hideous tweets about the murder and gang-rape of a female Labour front-bencher by now-suspended Lewisham East party chair and Labour campaign secretary Ian McKenzie – and even socialise with him in Parliament, their members have begun to take them to task.
But McKenzie’s supporters continue to try to justify McKenzie’s social media comments and attempt to use the rules to get him off the hook, yet more deeply unpleasant comments – many of them about women – have emerged.
Diane Abbott
Shadow Home Secretary Ms Abbott is the target of vast amounts of online abuse and spoke movingly in Parliament of the hideous comments she received. McKenzie – a member of the same party – has been happy to add to it.
When the Labour right was busy rushing to back the Tories over Syria, McKenzie praised Dan Fox – another Labour right-winger who has had issues, having been forced to apologise for a racist and misogynist comment on Twitter – but had a barb, almost literally, for Abbott at the end of it:
But it wasn’t a one-off:
Angela Rayner
Labour MP Angela Rayner came from a tough working-class background and overcame a very limited school education to rise to the position of Shadow Education Secretary. Although foolishly criticised by snobs for her northern accent, she is capable and highly regarded – frequently referred to by commentators as a ‘rising star’ of the party.
McKenzie, on the other hand, seemed not to have any regard for her intelligence or capability:
Ms Rayner could be excused for not appreciating the comparison with the likes of right-wingers Neil Kinnock, Jack Straw or David Blunkett – but she certainly stands above them in genuine political stature among the left.
Shami Chakrabarti
Mr McKenzie and his supporters are trying to hide behind the Chakrabarti Report to escape sanction for his behaviour. This is ironic, given his history of comments about the report’s author:
His use of ‘poisonous’ also stands out in the light of recent events.
Nicola Sturgeon
McKenzie does not direct his fire only at Labour women. SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon also got both barrels:
Polly Toynbee
Nor is his venom reserved for parliamentarians. Columnist Polly Toynbee was the target of a string of particularly unpleasant comments on the same sexist theme:
But perhaps the most disturbing – which seems unconnected to any context but a hashtag – is this:
For balance, it should be pointed out that McKenzie does target a man sometimes:
But he has also made at least one comment that would be certain to trigger storms of protest for him to be drummed out of the party were he a left-winger:
Comment:
McKenzie’s allies are still trying to paint criticism of his behaviour as a left-wing stitch-up. But his public social media history shows that his comments about Emily Thornberry were not an isolated slip.
Can there be any place for Ian McKenzie and those like him in the UK’s party of equality and justice?
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McKenzie – quite clearly – demonstrates that he is a most odious and vial individual.
How on earth does he think his values sit well with Socialist Labour Party? The man is deluded and needs ousting from the Party. forthwith.
“How on earth does he think his values sit well with Socialist Labour Party?”
The whole point is that he just doesn’t care. Like many of his ilk, they just regard the Labour Party as a convenient vehicle that they hijacked to advance their own ambitions. Morality or principles aren’t even a consideration.
I am genuinely shocked and disturbed by the obnoxious and indefensible statements made by Ian McKenzie.
I also find the attempts by the associates of Mr McKenzie to defend his unacceptable comments deeply troubling.
There is no place in the Labour party for people like Ian McKenzie and those who seek to justify his disgusting views and behaviour.
Somewhere in the LP Rule book there must be a Code of Practice and in there it needs to be spelled out what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour. Prospective candidates should sign their names PRIOR to taking office to that effect. Its standard practice in Industry, it should be in Politics.
The sooner McKenzie is shown the door the better
The right wing is continually bringing the labour Party into disrepute. Time for our new broom to get to work!!!
I find it hard to believe this man was even in the Labour party with views like this let alone ever a paid LP employee – what are our members subs being used for?
Shocking, disturbing, revolting, that someone involved in the running of the Labour Party can make such statements pertaining to women, girls, slavery, brutality, …… I am sorry I cannot find the words to express my revulsion. Then to find that person was until recently an advisor to a Labour mayor and now defended and lauded by sitting MPs and people who were once highly influential in the Labour Party is unbelievable. Something is wrong. Personally, I now believe there are some in the Party whose sole aim is to bring about the downfall of Jeremy Corbyn and those who support him. Maybe they have forgotten he was elected overwhelmingly by the membership TWICE to lead the Party. They care nothing for the thousands, millions even, who are desperate for a Labour Government after years of the vicious, cruel policies of this callous Tory/DUP government. All that seems to matter to McKenzie and his right wing cronies is the destruction of Jeremy Corbyn. Many of us are praying for a Corbyn led Labour Government. I am so grateful to SKWARBOX for bringing us this information. How these tweets were not spotted before is incredible.
ALL those who undermine Jeremy Corbyn are bringing the whole of OUR Labour Party into disrepute and must be dealt with. Remember, Jeremy has not only won two leadership contests, he has also inspired thousands & thousands to join Labour.. This is a vital matter of DEMOCRACY!
And these are the people who play the victim in front of the cameras all the while abusing others relentlessly. If he were a Corbyn supporter the “moderates” would be howling for his expulsion…
kincock, straw, blunkett – All ‘legends’ in a shadow education sec role, apparently. You really couldn’t make it up! F**ked if I can remember anyone called taylor so it shows how ‘legendary’ he/she was, eh?
In his defence he’s quite right about the malodourous quentin letts….except mckenzie didn’t deck the poisonous t*** (glass houses, mckenzie – glass houses) so he needs punting for that as well.
And for those on the right whinging about ‘fair play’ and that people (bloody lefties) are trawling through his twitter for things he said ‘ages ago’ – Well, It’s not as if he tweeted these things on a tablet of stone, is it?
He looks old enough to have done. No, there’s no ‘naivety’ excuse for the middle/old aged beaut. Nor has anything been taken out of context, as these further disclosures have proved beyond reasonable doubt.
Ann Taylor played a significant role in promoting the Iraq War through the presentation of ‘intelligence’. She was later appointed by Blair to investigate the nature of that intelligence–the Butler Report.
Butler Report Wikipedia entry:
Appointees
Private Eye magazine expressed misgivings against members of a committee personally appointed by Prime Minister Tony Blair. The magazine was particularly critical over the choice selection of New Labour Party politician and close acquaintance Ann Taylor, writing “Taylor is hardly a disinterested observer: she was herself involved in the famous ‘September dossier’ that explained Blair’s reasons for going to war.”
On 18 September 2002 an official in Blair’s office sent this memo to chief of staff Jonathan Powell and Alastair Campbell: “The PM has asked Ann Taylor to read through the dossier in draft and give us any comments. He stressed that it is for her and for her only and that no one else outside this building was seeing it in draft. I’m contacting John Scarlett to work out how this should happen — needs to be tomorrow.” Taylor went to Scarlett’s office at 8 o’clock the next morning, read the dossier and gave her comments to the spy chief — who then passed them on to Blair. She advised that it “needs to come across as an impartial, professional assessment of the threat”, and that the PM should “undercut critics” by explaining why Saddam should be stopped now. So the only person outside No 10 and the JIC who was trusted to help with the dossier (and who also expressed a wish to see Blair’s critics undercut) is now sitting on the inquiry into its contents. One wonders why Blair didn’t go the whole hog and add Alastair Campbell to Lord Butler’s team of independent inquisitors
Iraq crisis, & what the Butler will not see] Private Eye. Issue 1100. 20 February – 4 March 2004
I hope this helps.
Thanks, Tony.
I now know what dubitable acts she’s committed to achieve her ‘legendary’ status from mckenzie. And it’s most defintely not for being an outstanding shadow education secretary, is it, mckenzie?
If lauding some nonentity for something other than the sh*thouse tricks that they’ve carried out in the past, is the best mckenzie can do in the dark political art of misdirection, then the right are better off without him, really.
Good point. Mukkinese(@Mukkinese)
As they did with Marc Wadsworth. And they got it. They seem to think they are untouchable. The sight of the 40 strong mob marching against a good man. How they must have celebrated.
Is it me or him who’s in the wrong party? Someone definitely is!
His words and actions would not be out of place in the tory party would it? Probably would be tame in comparison, not that we’d know it tho, as the vile things tories say hardly gets a mention from the msm in most cases.
Each comment are not too bad by themselves. It is his right to criticize members of the shadow cabinet, and none of the tweets shown here are sexist…
HOWEVER, taken together, it shows that he is an unpleasant man. Sexism is not only about the content, but about frequency: if he overwhelmingly criticises female shadow cabinet members compared to male members.
But, all in all, with his views, the biggest question remains: why is he in Labour in the first place?
It’s been said again and again, but until this happens, then nothing will change. As said by another poster here, they think they’re untouchable, that they can do what they like with impunity. Until there is mandatory reselection, where the CLPs’ members can hold their MPs to account, then they’ll continue to work for their own corrupt interests and bring the Labour Party into disrepute. They get away with it because nobody will hold them to account. That has to change.
It strikes me it is a mistake to focus solely on a particularly unpleasant individual. In the past groups that were in their entirety undermining the Party were proscribed and all members expelled eg Militant.
It seems that the time has come for the group that he is so prominently a member of and whose general attitudes and approach he clearly personifies to be proscribed by conference and all its members expelled. It is clearly way past time to proscribe Labour First. Just removing one unpleasant individual will not cure the ills, the whole thing has to be cut out.
I wholeheartedly agree, this parasitic tumor needs to be excised from our party.
This “man” needs to be thrown out & given a lifetime ban IMMEDIATELY! This kind of disgusting abuse cannot be Tolerated an example made.
Most of what he’s said wouldn’t be tolerated down the pub on a Friday night, let alone tweeted by a representative of the Labour Party.
“Can there be any place for Ian McKenzie and those like him in the UK’s party of equality and justice?”
No, no, NO! Definitely not.
How the “HELL”, does McKenzie hitch his wagon to Labour, then become a MP?
Was his CLP, Totally “DEAF AND BLIND” to his “OUTRAGEOUS RACIST PREJUDICE VIEWS”?
Or did he lie to his back teeth, when he left the BNP party, Allegedly?
When will the “TRUTH COME OUT”?