MSP Sandra White thinks Mr McAveety should consider resigning, and said: "I am shocked and disgusted at these remarks. The fact they were uttered by the convener of a committee which was considering extremely important and sensitive issues makes it even more sickening. His stupid comments were at best sexist and sleazy - and at worst sexist, sleazy and racist. He must consider his position in parliament."
Shocked and disgusted, sickening, sexist, sleazy, racist?
Of course, it's difficult to as much as describe the target of Mr McAveety's remarks without causing offence, it would seem, but he actually said:
There's a very attractive girl in the second row, dark . . . and dusky. We'll maybe put a wee word out for her. She's very attractive looking, nice, very nice, very slim. The heat's getting to me.While part of the problem seems to be the context in which Mr McAveety made his remarks, on the other hand Ms White's condemnation to an extent seems to suggest that comments like this can never be made, nor - presumably - thought.
She looks kinda . . . she's got that Filipino look. You know . . . the kind you'd see in a Gauguin painting. There's a wee bit of culture.
Thus how far can two single males (say) go in chatting about a member of the opposite sex - or their own, depending on their sexuality - without it being considered offensive?
Or might Sandra White's remarks have something to do with the fact that Frank McAveety is a Labour MSP, and she isn't?
Never mind though. The Sun is on the case and has blurred pictures of the [...] and is appealing for information about her identity. Sounds like a nice little earner for someone. But this perhaps underlines the irony of the Sun's description of McAveety as "ogling", "leering" and "frisky"!
3 comments:
He is also a married dad of two - who is also co-convener of Holyrood's cross-party group on RACIAL EQUALITY and has previous form of lying under oath in the chamber.
Shocked and disgusted, sickening, sexist, sleazy, racist?
Yes, yes, yes, yes & yes.
He has to go.
Stuart
Forgetting Sandra White's predictable and politically-motivated remarks, it could be said that Scottish Labour's politically-motivated silence on this matter is even worse.
So let me get this right. Whilst chairing a committee of elected members, his eyes were drawn to a ... 'babe' in the public gallery. He then gives enough of a description of her that assumes his mind was not on committee matters, and then has the audacity to describe her alluring features, for whatever reason, and crucially, failing to turn off his mic?
Please tell me this didn't happen. I feel for his wife and family.
PS. Who needs NOTW?
Anon, as I've said a MILLION times - do not exaggerate!!
Anyway, you seem to have missed my point about Sandra White and the context - my point wasn't so much about Frank McAveety as the more general application of Sandra White's approach - my question was, what is acceptable?
Andrew, indeed, and today's Sun revalation that she was a teenage schoolgirl on work experience for the Greens will only add to his discomfiture, but I suppose now that he's resigend it might not go much further.
But she certainly didn't look like a teenage schoolgirl from the Sun's pics, but I see that they've blurred her face further on yesterday's report.
Which seems a bit pointless, since presumably the paper edition had the original images as well.
Post a Comment