Home Secretary Proves Just How Out Of Touch U.K Politicians Are

After admitting her fear of walking London's streets after dark, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith shows just how out of touch politicians are with the lives of U.K citizens.

Smith admits London street fear

In the interview with the Sunday Times, Ms Smith was asked why she would not feel safe on Hackney's streets at night.

She replied: "Well, I just don't think that's a thing that people do, is it, really?"

Is she having a joke here or what?
Just because Hackney is one of London's poorest boroughs she thinks people don't walk around at night?

And then there's this:

Ms Smith told the newspaper she used to walk around Redditch, her constituency in Worcestershire, but added that she no longer got the chance because she was protected by police bodyguards.

"I don't get the opportunity to get out on my own now but I certainly have done in the recent past," she said.

A round of applause for our home secretary here ladies and gentleman; she's been out by herself before.

Following the interview, the newspaper claimed it was contacted by one of the home secretary's aides who said that Ms Smith's remarks had not come out as she had intended.

The aide added that Ms Smith had recently "bought a kebab in Peckham" - an area of south London considered one of the most deprived.

So, she thinks just because she's 'bought a kebab in Peckham', she's in touch with the street and knows the average Londoner's problems, fears and concerns?
In fact it was later reported by the kebab shop owner that she pulled up right in front of the shop in a blacked out car, entered with two burly men and then made an abrupt exit.

If this is how our politicians live and think then we have a very serious problem. How are we to be represented in a proper fashion if our politicians have no idea how we live? We need more 'real' people in government telling it how it really is.

Sarah Teather, Lib Dem MP for Brent East, NW London is more on the money.

She told BBC London: "To think that people don't walk around late at night, and to think that everybody goes around in a cocooned ministerial car with a couple of policemen watching, is absolutely astonishing."

"I think she is out of touch. I think she has no idea. It's an astonishing admission of the government's failure.

"Instead of putting large amounts of money into an ID scheme which is not going to tackle crime, I think they should be putting that money into getting more police on the streets."

What do you guys think about this?

Sam

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[edit on 22-1-2008 by UK Wizard]

Are you serious?

It's easy to just take the pi** but let's think about this seriously.

Do you honestly think a perception of fear to be out and about at night is some odd attitude confined to a senior politician and that it's weird she should voice that view (especially the Home Sec)?

Do you seriously think that millions of people do not go out at night because of their fears?
Cos whether those fears are justified or not I can assure you that survey after survey shows otherwise.

Do you honestly expect a senior British Minister (the Home Secretary no less) to not be under armed guard and escorted around in an 'unreal' lifestyle?!

Of course that is how they (all above a certain level) live, how could it possibly (safely) be otherwise?

Where does she ever say "she is in touch with the street"?
It's one thing to exprress a view that you are aware of Londoner's problems but quite another to pretend she was 'just hanging' and pretending to be 'down with the kids' etc etc.

Like it or not what she said will ring true (sadly) for many.

I'd say the real point is not to rubbish her for saying what a lot of people think but finding ways to remove the perception(s) involved.

She clearly shows that she has no idea about Londoners.
Thanks to people like her and reports from the media everyones scared *snip*about this 'new spurt of youth crime'.
Sure *snip* happens, but where doesn't it?

I think it is up to us to change how things are in society and stop relying on these high up politicians who think they know the cause of gang crime and what it feels like to be caught up in all of it.

mod edit: removed profanity, please check your u2u's

[edit on 22-1-2008 by UK Wizard]

Originally posted by PeaceUk
She clearly shows that she has no idea about Londoners.
Thanks to people like her and reports from the media everyones scared *snip*about this 'new spurt of youth crime'.
Sure *snip* happens, but where doesn't it?

I think it is up to us to change how things are in society and stop relying on these high up politicians who think they know the cause of gang crime and what it feels like to be caught up in all of it.

mod edit: removed profanity, please check your u2u's

[edit on 22-1-2008 by UK Wizard]

On the contrary I don't think most politicians do think they know the causes, for the most part they're clueless about the realitites other than playing on the fears of the voters when they're the party in opposition. But you're right as a PR stunt it was almost Kafka-esque in it's surreal rather amusing way. Then again so is the whole approach to the issue of crime IMHO.