Sunday, May 10, 2009

I knew they'd say that.....

I do love it when I'm right, but when commenting on yesterday's expenses revelation I said,
Ben Bradshaw, the Health Minister is accused of doing the second home switch trick but also now claiming for full interest payments on a house he shares with his partner but is only obliged to pay half the interest payments on. I imagine someone will point out that straight MPs in relationships with joint mortgages wouldn't get the same attention - expect claims of homophobia from some quarters on this one.
Yesterday afternoon a post appeared on LabourHome titled "Is Telegraph attack on Bradshaw homophobic?" which nmotes Bradshaw himself updating his Facebook status with,
Ben Bradshaw thinks if you doubt today's false smear of him by the Torygraph is homophobic, ask would they have written the same piece about the Camerons?
It was a rather obvious thing that would happen I guess. Mind you, its a diversionary point to be making as a defence I think. Questioning the motivation of the accuser rather than rebutting what they've said is not the greatest of defences.

After all, even if the accuser is motivated by prejudice it doesn't necessarily follow that the allegation is untrue.

8 comments:

John McClane said...

Hiding behind his sexuality.

The coward.

Dave B said...

And James Purnell did get the same attention, but that was last week's scandal.

Serf-rider said...

I don't care if he's into bestiality and keeps a goat in his flat - if he breaks the rules, he breaks the rules.

Anonymongous said...

My local mp, won't be voting for him (whatever his sexuality).

And Ben, changing party isn't going to help either

Prodicus said...

WTF have the Camerons got to do with it? So weak.

Unknown said...

Bradshaw's point is quite strong: he does exactly what just about every married member of the Commons does (shares his property with spouse and claims for it).

The Telegraph story only makes sense if they don't recognise his relationship as equivalent to marriage; which they make it clear they do not by referring to his partner as 'his boyfriend' and using a recent picture of Bradshaw but a 15 year old picture of his partner to imply an age gap.

Fed up said...

Perhaps we should all declare we're homosexual, since it appears that then you are then beyond all criticism.

OBC News said...

Aside from the illiteracy of the term 'homophobic', this whole 'is it because I is gay?' retort is not only intellectually feeble but has subsequently been proven hollow since Mr Byers has subsequently been collared for a very similar misdemeanour. So not only is Bradshaw an abomination as a minister, he has been operating outside of 'the spirit of the rules' and then when he's found out can only bleat that it must be media reaction to his sexuality.

Go and go now - the lot of you!