Shadow Health Minister Diane Abbott has apologised for any offence caused by comments she made on Twitter, after claims they were racist.
She said she had not meant to generalise when she wrote: ”White people love playing ‘divide & rule’” …
In a statement, Ms Abbott said: “I apologise for any offence caused. I understand people have interpreted my comments as making generalisations about white people. I do not believe in doing that.”…
The original remark from Ms Abbott was a reaction to a conversation on Twitter about media coverage in the wake of the Stephen Lawrence murder trial. It was a response to journalist Bim Adewunmi, who complained about the use of the terms “the black community” and “black community leaders” in the media.
Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP Ms Abbott, who stood for Labour leader in the 2010 contest, remarked: “White people love playing ‘divide & rule’. We should not play their game” followed by “#tacticasoldascolonialism” – a way Twitter users flag up keywords and topics…
She added: “Ethnic communities that show more public solidarity & unity than black people do much better.”
- BBC News
Proof positive that all you can do effectively in 140 characters or less is humiliate yourself, which is a great pity because Ms Abbott is a usually insightful politician probably best known for her discerning commentary spot on the BBC’s Daily Politics program.
It must be particularly galling that she’s managed to find a way to prove David Cameron right.
