There was an absolutely scandalous moment in Boris Johnson’s LBC interview. It wasn’t throatgate.

Boris Johnson on LBC


Support us and go ad-free

Boris Johnson was captured on camera drawing his hand across his throat during an LBC interview on 29 November. Dubbed throatgate, people suspected the PM was gesturing to host Nick Ferrari to move the questioning on from the difficult subject of social care:

 

 

Read on...

That scandal turned out to be bogus. But Johnson’s response to a question from a single mother was scandalous too – and voters shouldn’t let him forget it.

Just a distraction

A single mother phoned into LBC to pose a question to Johnson. She said:

I don’t appreciate what you’ve said about single mothers and, by implication, my family. Why are you happy to criticise people like me, when you refuse to discuss your family?

The woman is referring to an old article where Johnson shared his views on single mothers and the men that impregnate them. As Ferrari explained:

On working class men, Mr Johnson, you said they’re likely to be drunk, criminal, aimless, feckless and hopeless, and perhaps claiming to suffer from low self esteem brought on by unemployment. On single mothers, [you said] they’re uppity, which is a word with its own issues and irresponsible.

And on their children, [you said] they’re ill-raised, ignorant, aggressive and illegitimate.

While Ferrari was reading that appalling list of comments out, Johnson winced and sighed. He then responded to the woman by saying he meant no “disrespect” to her or anyone. The PM did not, however, say that his comments were wrong or that he didn’t hold such views any more. Nor did he apologise to the mother for them. Instead, he blamed Labour for the fact they’d come to light, saying the revelations were:

another attempt by the Labour Party to distract from the fundamental issue at the heart of this election.

As with his previous racist comments, Johnson also said the words don’t mean what they sound like they mean. But the full article is available, and it reads exactly like it sounds: some silver-spooned toff hurling hurtful and callous insults at poorer people for having the audacity to procreate, with disdain levelled towards the men involved, the mothers left to raise children alone and, indeed, the children themselves:

Meanwhile, he refused to talk about his own procreation:

A terrible deal

As is often the case, when faced with a challenge on his own record, Johnson guided the conversation towards Brexit. ‘Your actions have increased hate crime in Britain, Mr Johnson‘. ‘But I can get Brexit done’. ‘You hate poor people, Mr Johnson‘. ‘But I can get Brexit done’. ‘You’re selling our NHS, Mr Johnson‘. ‘But I can get Brexit done’. ‘You don’t care about saving our planet, Mr Johnson‘. ‘But I can get Brexit done’.

This is the general discourse we’re hearing right now.

Is this really what Britons are expected to settle for? Do we have to trade off our health, our tolerance, our dignity and our planet by electing a man who’s shown himself unwilling to properly protect any of those things in order to ‘get Brexit done’? Absolutely not. Because Labour is also offering people the chance to get Brexit done without threatening any of these things.

And people coming to that realisation is Johnson’s worst nightmare.

Featured image via Twitter

We know everyone is suffering under the Tories - but the Canary is a vital weapon in our fight back, and we need your support

The Canary Workers’ Co-op knows life is hard. The Tories are waging a class war against us we’re all having to fight. But like trade unions and community organising, truly independent working-class media is a vital weapon in our armoury.

The Canary doesn’t have the budget of the corporate media. In fact, our income is over 1,000 times less than the Guardian’s. What we do have is a radical agenda that disrupts power and amplifies marginalised communities. But we can only do this with our readers’ support.

So please, help us continue to spread messages of resistance and hope. Even the smallest donation would mean the world to us.

Support us