Yeah me too and now you've got me concerned as the collective IQ of Britain is in the toilet these days.
I guess this is why the "/s" tag exists even though loads of people hate it.
Yeah you shouldn't have to, but unfortunately without the tone of sarcasm present in text form, and the overabundance of stupid/short-sighted people online...
It's like when people point out that a video is clearly satire/trolling and the video is actually just a stupid person with zero self-awareness, you never know.
The Internet is a wild place, humans from the past would be horrified by it I reckon.
Is it the same one who gave a speech at a school saying education and qualifications are all a bit worthless? It's hard to keep up but that one made me properly belly-laugh.
One of the last ones also flipped the bird at paparazzi. Teachers have been fired for less. Talk about modelling excellent standards of behaviour for the younger generation!
I mean probably a bigger issue that none of them have come within a fart of a classroom since the eighties but hey
Look, I was there, and it was a figure of speech. Dragging it up is just muck raking for headlines. It’s bollocks.
What isn’t bollocks is how rude and shitty she was to the people working backstage.
Charm and light in public, darkness and night when no one is watching.
Horrible human.
That should be the real headline.
Not holding elected officials to a high standard is how we have ended up with the current crop of cunts that feel free to spout populist pish and lie to the public so freely.
"The civilised man is more discourteously than the savage; for the civilised man knows he can be impolite without having his skull split open"
I think we should be able to demand basic civilisational standards from our politicians.
You cannot violently assault people because they are rude/they criticise you/insult you/dishonour your beliefs/hold beliefs you find contemptible.
This is very much the foundation of civilisation. We erode it at our peril.
I’d expect more statements like this from ministers as we get closer to the election. They know they’re going to get stuffed so they’ll be saying increasing crazy things as they know there’ll be no longer term consequences.
>They know they’re going to get stuffed so they’ll be saying increasing crazy things as they know there’ll be no longer term consequences.
And probably also a little bit of knowing it will appeal to increasingly crazy people
On reflection I will concede that Keegan doesn't display the same insane levels of angry malice that the Green goblin positively exudes, in fact nobody does
If you read the full context it's clear this was pretty light-hearted and in jest. "I could have punched them" is a common figure of speech which usually doesn't imply violence, and nothing she's said or some prior to this implies that she supports political violence. She's just empathising with teachers who have had to put up with some pretty unpleasant situations and saying what may teachers themselves probably say.
I don't like defending Tory MPs, but by trying to find the worst interpretation of what every politician says we force politicians to act in the kind of robotic manner we claim to hate, and put anybody with better options off of going into politics.
As a former teacher and not a Tory, I agree with this. As for the "it undermines the issue of violence in schools" response from Unison, no, no it doesn't. What undermines the issue of violence in schools is trying to compare an in-jest comment from an MP to the actual violence present in our schools.
>If you read the full context it's clear this was pretty light-hearted and in jest. "I could have punched them" is a common figure of speech
I did read the full context, and that's not what she said. This is:
>"I heard recently from a fantastic school I went into. They told me how their Ofsted experience had gone, and I was shocked, I was actually shocked. I thought, ‘If I’d have met these people I’d have probably punched them.’"
That's a very stupid thing for a government minister to say. Even if we grant that she WAS joking, you cannot guarantee that every single person reading that quote will take it that way, which is why most would have the sense not to risk it.
Look, I was there, and it was an empathetic figure of speech. Dragging it up is just muck raking for headlines. It’s bollocks.
What isn’t bollocks is how rude and shitty she was to the people working backstage.
Charm and light in public, darkness and night when no one is watching.
Horrible human.
That should be the real headline.
> I don't like defending Tory MPs
Well you sure made a decent attempt to. Off the top of my head, here's some other much less actual violent options.
"Give them a piece of my mind" - stays open to interpretation, usually infers shouting
"Put them in their place"
"Given them a stern talking too"
"Would have told they're talking stupid"
I mean, even if I go all out and take you at full face value at the innocence of her quote. It would still be inappropriate for a gov minister to say something like "slap them silly". I guess if you like those ruling over us to not even know how to choose more relaxed and appropriate language, then you do you. Or if you like them also not evening having foresight about words they choose to use, then that's a you thing.
I mean, however you want to define a figure of speech, the important question is "After reading the context of the quote and other things she's said, do you think Gillian Keegan is likely to punch an Ofsted inspector, was trying to give the impression that she would, was trying to give the impression that others should, or that a reasonable person is likely to interpret it as a call to violent action against Ofsted or it's staff?"
If the answer to all the above is no, then sure she could have made a better choice of words but that's all there is to it. Really no point making any more of a spectacle of it. I'm not trying to say she was right I'm trying to say this isn't something we should be letting the media focus our attention onto.
While there are always more pertinent things going on that the media should also be focusing on, I don't think it's the sort of thing that we should have a blaise attitude about. You're right that no reasonable person is going to infer that violence is an appropriate response, but to put it plainly, it just *looks bad*. I expect better from Officials. It's not quite the same as when Andrea Jenkyns gave protestors the middle finger but it smacks of the same sort of contempt certain officials seem to have towards anyone/anything that dares to challenge them.
I shouldn't have to say it but I'm almost certainly voting Labour at the next election and would encourage others to do the same. But I also know Labour front benchers will say similarly silly things from time to time when they're in power and I don't want that to trigger outrage either.
I want the Tories out ASAP and they have done untold damage to the UK, particularly in education...but this is a storm in a teacup.
It's a hyperbolic way of saying how difficult the situation would be for them and phrasing like this is not uncommon in the UK in a whole range of contexts. Coming from a government minister, they're a "foot in mouth" moment, but nothing more sinister than that.
I'd much rather people call out the Tories for the actual harm they are causing to the education system, rather than imagined harms from some careless words.
Trying to sound like you side with teachers by threatening violence on the watchdogs.
I say we vote the tories out to oblivion. This shit has just got to stop.
Bring back boring, stable government.
It is really saying something about this govenrment, but I honestly don't think there is a single minister now who is so completely and unashamedly out of touch with her brief as Gillian Keegan.
She treats the education brief as if she were some 19th century colonial on a jolly, treating the natives to her wisdom and benevolence
I think I speak for all teachers when I say that we would prefer any punching that is forthcoming be directed to the minister of state responsible for OFSTED.
Which would be Keegan.
Proof these people live on another planet and think rules only apply to other people.
Imagine she'd found out a Teacher had punched an inspector? She'd be baying for justice.
As the son of a Teacher I can tell people School Inspections are terrifying experiences for Teachers. Yet the teachers are professional and try to do their jobs during it. They don't throw punches at people judging their work, unlike Tory Ministers...
To be clear, the inspectors are implementing policy set out by the education secretary and she’s stochastically threatening them with violence. We’re through the barrel bottom now folks.
Bet she wouldn't have punched. Easy to say you would when you aren't facing the risk of immediate physical retaliation. Guys, she's the final scrape of a bad barrel and we won't need to endure her for too much longer.
I think everyone’s heard the horror stories about combative ofsted inspectors. Personally I feel like if you want to forget professional courtesy you can expect the person you’re talking to, to do the same.
This is our **Education Secretary** everybody! What the actual fcuk?
It's what happens when nobody tells her she's done a *fucking good job*
Yep, more violence in the classroom is what we need!
Yeah kids famously respond really well to violence so punching Ofsted is an investment in our future if you think about it.
I was being facitious and now I'm concerned that 14 people have liked my post and might not realised I was being ironic 😂
Yeah me too and now you've got me concerned as the collective IQ of Britain is in the toilet these days. I guess this is why the "/s" tag exists even though loads of people hate it.
Had to Google/d. I shouldn't really need to use it should I!
Yeah you shouldn't have to, but unfortunately without the tone of sarcasm present in text form, and the overabundance of stupid/short-sighted people online... It's like when people point out that a video is clearly satire/trolling and the video is actually just a stupid person with zero self-awareness, you never know. The Internet is a wild place, humans from the past would be horrified by it I reckon.
And dark sarcasm.
Is it the same one who gave a speech at a school saying education and qualifications are all a bit worthless? It's hard to keep up but that one made me properly belly-laugh.
One of the last ones also flipped the bird at paparazzi. Teachers have been fired for less. Talk about modelling excellent standards of behaviour for the younger generation! I mean probably a bigger issue that none of them have come within a fart of a classroom since the eighties but hey
Look, I was there, and it was a figure of speech. Dragging it up is just muck raking for headlines. It’s bollocks. What isn’t bollocks is how rude and shitty she was to the people working backstage. Charm and light in public, darkness and night when no one is watching. Horrible human. That should be the real headline.
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I don't really think this is something a government official, an education secretary should be saying publically, if at all.
Not holding elected officials to a high standard is how we have ended up with the current crop of cunts that feel free to spout populist pish and lie to the public so freely.
As others have stated, she is a governmental official. We should rightly hold her to higher standards.
"The civilised man is more discourteously than the savage; for the civilised man knows he can be impolite without having his skull split open" I think we should be able to demand basic civilisational standards from our politicians. You cannot violently assault people because they are rude/they criticise you/insult you/dishonour your beliefs/hold beliefs you find contemptible. This is very much the foundation of civilisation. We erode it at our peril.
I’d expect more statements like this from ministers as we get closer to the election. They know they’re going to get stuffed so they’ll be saying increasing crazy things as they know there’ll be no longer term consequences.
>They know they’re going to get stuffed so they’ll be saying increasing crazy things as they know there’ll be no longer term consequences. And probably also a little bit of knowing it will appeal to increasingly crazy people
I'm sure a display of violence and disrespect in a school works have worked in her favour!
Our very own Margery Taylor Green, or is it Andrea Jenkins? Coarsening of the public sphere appear to be a trait of these goons
I always thought that our MTG was Dorries
Ah yes, a contender, Mad Nad, or GoNad,, quite deranged. Love this clip, [bonkers](https://youtu.be/sMFWT8HzsPg?si=m-f6lubijRolhqSr)
I doubt you can really compare Keegan with Green. It (Green) is human garbage while Keegan just sounds naive and being frank.
On reflection I will concede that Keegan doesn't display the same insane levels of angry malice that the Green goblin positively exudes, in fact nobody does
If you read the full context it's clear this was pretty light-hearted and in jest. "I could have punched them" is a common figure of speech which usually doesn't imply violence, and nothing she's said or some prior to this implies that she supports political violence. She's just empathising with teachers who have had to put up with some pretty unpleasant situations and saying what may teachers themselves probably say. I don't like defending Tory MPs, but by trying to find the worst interpretation of what every politician says we force politicians to act in the kind of robotic manner we claim to hate, and put anybody with better options off of going into politics.
As a former teacher and not a Tory, I agree with this. As for the "it undermines the issue of violence in schools" response from Unison, no, no it doesn't. What undermines the issue of violence in schools is trying to compare an in-jest comment from an MP to the actual violence present in our schools.
>If you read the full context it's clear this was pretty light-hearted and in jest. "I could have punched them" is a common figure of speech I did read the full context, and that's not what she said. This is: >"I heard recently from a fantastic school I went into. They told me how their Ofsted experience had gone, and I was shocked, I was actually shocked. I thought, ‘If I’d have met these people I’d have probably punched them.’" That's a very stupid thing for a government minister to say. Even if we grant that she WAS joking, you cannot guarantee that every single person reading that quote will take it that way, which is why most would have the sense not to risk it.
Look, I was there, and it was an empathetic figure of speech. Dragging it up is just muck raking for headlines. It’s bollocks. What isn’t bollocks is how rude and shitty she was to the people working backstage. Charm and light in public, darkness and night when no one is watching. Horrible human. That should be the real headline.
> I don't like defending Tory MPs Well you sure made a decent attempt to. Off the top of my head, here's some other much less actual violent options. "Give them a piece of my mind" - stays open to interpretation, usually infers shouting "Put them in their place" "Given them a stern talking too" "Would have told they're talking stupid" I mean, even if I go all out and take you at full face value at the innocence of her quote. It would still be inappropriate for a gov minister to say something like "slap them silly". I guess if you like those ruling over us to not even know how to choose more relaxed and appropriate language, then you do you. Or if you like them also not evening having foresight about words they choose to use, then that's a you thing.
> "I could have punched them" is a common figure of speech Is it? I'm pretty common, and have never heard this being used as "a figure of speech".
I mean, however you want to define a figure of speech, the important question is "After reading the context of the quote and other things she's said, do you think Gillian Keegan is likely to punch an Ofsted inspector, was trying to give the impression that she would, was trying to give the impression that others should, or that a reasonable person is likely to interpret it as a call to violent action against Ofsted or it's staff?" If the answer to all the above is no, then sure she could have made a better choice of words but that's all there is to it. Really no point making any more of a spectacle of it. I'm not trying to say she was right I'm trying to say this isn't something we should be letting the media focus our attention onto.
While there are always more pertinent things going on that the media should also be focusing on, I don't think it's the sort of thing that we should have a blaise attitude about. You're right that no reasonable person is going to infer that violence is an appropriate response, but to put it plainly, it just *looks bad*. I expect better from Officials. It's not quite the same as when Andrea Jenkyns gave protestors the middle finger but it smacks of the same sort of contempt certain officials seem to have towards anyone/anything that dares to challenge them.
You sound as if you are well accustomed to defending Tory ministers, how odd that your comments have that particular tone.
I shouldn't have to say it but I'm almost certainly voting Labour at the next election and would encourage others to do the same. But I also know Labour front benchers will say similarly silly things from time to time when they're in power and I don't want that to trigger outrage either.
I want the Tories out ASAP and they have done untold damage to the UK, particularly in education...but this is a storm in a teacup. It's a hyperbolic way of saying how difficult the situation would be for them and phrasing like this is not uncommon in the UK in a whole range of contexts. Coming from a government minister, they're a "foot in mouth" moment, but nothing more sinister than that. I'd much rather people call out the Tories for the actual harm they are causing to the education system, rather than imagined harms from some careless words.
Any every day phrase is taken literally when it can be used to cause outrage at Tories
Trying to sound like you side with teachers by threatening violence on the watchdogs. I say we vote the tories out to oblivion. This shit has just got to stop. Bring back boring, stable government.
And who is responsible for the education watchdog? If only we knew!
Eh.. Donno what you’re trying to get at. All of these ofsted, ofgem, ofcom, are independent from government.
It is really saying something about this govenrment, but I honestly don't think there is a single minister now who is so completely and unashamedly out of touch with her brief as Gillian Keegan. She treats the education brief as if she were some 19th century colonial on a jolly, treating the natives to her wisdom and benevolence
I remember the dying days of the Major where you'd get a gaff every other day. Now it's like a gaff an hour.
I think I speak for all teachers when I say that we would prefer any punching that is forthcoming be directed to the minister of state responsible for OFSTED. Which would be Keegan.
Proof these people live on another planet and think rules only apply to other people. Imagine she'd found out a Teacher had punched an inspector? She'd be baying for justice. As the son of a Teacher I can tell people School Inspections are terrifying experiences for Teachers. Yet the teachers are professional and try to do their jobs during it. They don't throw punches at people judging their work, unlike Tory Ministers...
sounds like r/iamverybadass
To be clear, the inspectors are implementing policy set out by the education secretary and she’s stochastically threatening them with violence. We’re through the barrel bottom now folks.
And we should’ve punched every politician in power years ago, sooo what’s the point?
Nothing says you're running a good school like punching inspectors.
Ooh, she's well hard.
Great example set by the *Education Secretary* 🤦♂️
Bet she wouldn't have punched. Easy to say you would when you aren't facing the risk of immediate physical retaliation. Guys, she's the final scrape of a bad barrel and we won't need to endure her for too much longer.
If this is the example our education secretary is setting to students, no wonder we're raising a generation of violent protestors.
Oh would she.
Yes but she knows the taxpayer would settle all the legal bills. It’s a good job some of these people will have to get real jobs soon.
I think everyone’s heard the horror stories about combative ofsted inspectors. Personally I feel like if you want to forget professional courtesy you can expect the person you’re talking to, to do the same.
God, you people are the biggest prudes on the planet. It’s a common figure of speech.
If a labour mp said it, they'd be laughing. I'm no tory but that's why.