Isabel Oakeshott tries to drum up support for ‘an unpopular view’ and Twitter isn’t having it

On 21 January, Theresa May confirmed the government’s U-turn on a key home office policy. EU citizens will no longer have to pay £65 to apply for “settled status” in the UK. This is great news for The 3 Million campaign and its supporters. But not everyone was happy with the news.
Political commentator and self-described “professional feather ruffler” Isabel Oakeshott was among the critics:
If people can’t afford, or resent paying, £65 for the right to remain in this country, their attachment to the UK is pretty flimsy https://t.co/EmtYWAaj4G
— Isabel Oakeshott (@IsabelOakeshott) January 22, 2019
The Reaction
For EU citizens, the issue is not the cost. It’s about having to complete a process to stay living in their homes after a referendum most couldn’t vote in. So Twitter did what it does best – asking questions and providing alternative opinions.
Read on...
Laura, an Italian citizen who has lived in the UK for “nearly three decades“, said:
It's the principle of having to pay after years (in some cases decades) of contributing to society through work, taxes, and NI so that we can *apply* to be allowed to carry on living in our homes with our families. If don't understand that, your intelligence is pretty flimsy too.
— Laura #QueueJumper #FBPE (@smilinglaura) January 22, 2019
Alexandra Bulat pointed out that having no fee is closer to the Vote Leave commitment:
But…surely scrapping the fee is a step closer to fulfilling the Vote Leave promise of automatic grant of all rights? I thought you were making the case of delivering on the vote? pic.twitter.com/DoANkej86v
— Alexandra Bulat (@alexandrabulat) January 22, 2019
Also, comedy writer James Felton said:
Do you really lack the empathy to understand how it would feel to be suddenly told to pay to stay in your home?
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) January 23, 2019
And SNP Councillor Mhairi Hunter asked if the tweet was genuine:
Are you honestly this insensitive & crass or are you just pretending?
— Mhairi Hunter (@MhairiHunter) January 22, 2019
But this isn’t the first time…
For Oakeshott, this isn’t the first time she’s invited criticism for her opinions. In May 2017, she described parents who can’t afford to feed their children as “failing woefully”:
Parents who routinely fail to give their children breakfast before school are failing woefully in their basic duty as parents. That's all.
— Isabel Oakeshott (@IsabelOakeshott) May 18, 2017
And Oakeshott gave this retort to a Twitter user:
A bag of porridge costs about £1; will last a family all week and is far more nutritious than Cornflakes.
— Isabel Oakeshott (@IsabelOakeshott) May 18, 2017
Also, in November 2017, author and journalist Sonia Sodha accused Oakeshott of being xenophobic, live on Sky News:
During the interview, Oakeshott directly linked the housing crisis to immigration. But Sodha pointed out the need for immigration due to an ageing UK population. Sodha also blamed the lack of house building by consecutive governments for the housing crisis. But Oakeshott felt Sodha’s analysis was “ludicrous”.
Disabled parking spaces
As reported by the BBC in February 2018, Oakeshott vocalised her concerns over the number of disabled parking spaces at Oxford Parkway train station. Tweeting a picture of the empty spaces, she said: “a triumph of political correctness over common sense”. Oakeshott also said the number of spaces was disproportionate “unless the Paralympics are coming to Oxford”.
Imagine being outraged over parking spaces but not foodbank usage. Mind boggling isn’t it?
And finally…
On 22 January, Oakeshott shared her latest blog on Twitter. The blog gives her opinion on the BBC Question Time controversy involving Diane Abbot. Mocking the shadow home sectary, she said:
You could slow cook a chicken in the time it takes @HackneyAbbott to finish a sentence. That, not racism, is why she was frequently interrupted on @bbcquestiontime Here's my take: https://t.co/dmlGRMavJV
— Isabel Oakeshott (@IsabelOakeshott) January 22, 2019
Perhaps Oakeshott should be more patient and listen to others. Maybe then she could have a broader understanding of the UK’s pressing social issues. Those same issues Oakeshott routinely dismisses altogether or conveniently blames on immigration. And in reference to EU citizens, perhaps the pro-Brexit commentator should show a little more compassion towards innocent parties.
Featured image via 5 News/YouTube
We need your help to keep speaking the truth
Every story that you have come to us with; each injustice you have asked us to investigate; every campaign we have fought; each of your unheard voices we amplified; we do this for you. We are making a difference on your behalf.
Our fight is your fight. You’ve supported our collective struggle every time you gave us a like; and every time you shared our work across social media. Now we need you to support us with a monthly donation.
We have published nearly 2,000 articles and over 50 films in 2021. And we want to do this and more in 2022 but we don’t have enough money to go on at this pace. So, if you value our work and want us to continue then please join us and be part of The Canary family.
In return, you get:
* Advert free reading experience
* Quarterly group video call with the Editor-in-Chief
* Behind the scenes monthly e-newsletter
* 20% discount in our shop
Almost all of our spending goes to the people who make The Canary’s content. So your contribution directly supports our writers and enables us to continue to do what we do: speaking truth, powered by you. We have weathered many attempts to shut us down and silence our vital opposition to an increasingly fascist government and right-wing mainstream media.
With your help we can continue:
* Holding political and state power to account
* Advocating for the people the system marginalises
* Being a media outlet that upholds the highest standards
* Campaigning on the issues others won’t
* Putting your lives central to everything we do
We are a drop of truth in an ocean of deceit. But we can’t do this without your support. So please, can you help us continue the fight?
-
Show Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to leave a comment.Join the conversationPlease read our comment moderation policy here.
It’s surprisingly easy to dislike Isabel Oakeshott.
Can’t stand her. There’s a smugness about her that makes me want to switch channels when she’s talking