Harriet Harman apologises for her "ginger rodent" attack on Government minister
Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman has apologised after calling a political rival a "ginger rodent."
Harman, nicknamed "Hattie Harperson" because of her politically correct views and who was Equalities Minister when Labour were in power, was not very PC after attacking the red-headed Danny Alexander.
Liberal Democrat Alexander is the Treasury Chief Secretary in the Tory/Liberal Democrat government and was the brains behind the savage spending cuts which were recently announced live on TV in the Commons by Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, spending cuts which are necessary to reduce the huge deficit, the largest in the G20, bequeathed to us by the Labour Government.
Harperson, who is also Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, was making a speech in Oban during Labour's annual conference in Scotland - a place which has an abundance of ginger-haired people.
She told delegates: ‘Now, many of us in the Labour Party are conservationists – and we all love the red squirrel.
‘But there is one ginger rodent which we never want to see again in the Highlands – Danny Alexander.’
But now, forced by her boss, Labour leader Ed Miliband, Harman has issued a grovelling apology.
On his Twitter page, Mr Alexander said: ‘I am proud to be ginger."
And, in a great revenge attack against Labour, he said: Rodents do valuable work cleaning up mess others leave behind."
A member of the SNP, Scotland's nationalist party, has accsued Harperson's remarks as being "anti-Scottish" and said "coming from the doyenne of po-faced political correctness, these remarks show she and Labour have lost the plot since losing the Election."
Funnily enough, Alexander, who is himself a Scot, has probably seen many real ginger rodents in his time. Before entering politics, he was Head of Communications for Cairngorms National Park, which is famous for its red squirrels, Britain's native squirrels (unlike the uglier pest imported from North America the grey squirrel).
Alexander has also been nicknamed "Beaker" because of his resemblance to the Muppets character.
Harriet Harman takes a swipe at 'ginger rodent' Danny Alexander
By Brendan Carlin and Michael Tait
31st October 2010
Daily Mail
Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman was forced by Ed Miliband to apologise yesterday after she branded Treasury Minister Danny Alexander a ‘ginger rodent’.
Ms Harman, the former Equality Minister, hurled the insult at red-headed Mr Alexander during a speech at the party’s annual Scottish conference.
But Labour sources said that after a direct order from party leader Mr Miliband, she was forced to apologise and withdraw the rodent slur.
Seeing red: Harriet Harman was forced to apologise for her insult, but Danny Alexander laughed it off, saying he was 'proud to be ginger'
‘Harriet Harman has apologised for her comment about Danny Alexander and says it was wrong,’ said a hastily issued Labour Party statement.
Mr Alexander’s shock of red hair has already led to unflattering comparisons between the Treasury Chief Secretary and ‘Beaker’, the hapless ginger-haired character from The Muppet Show.
Labour has also condemned Lib Dem MP Mr Alexander for his key role in drawing up the package of huge spending cuts while also privately targeting him as a weak link on the Coalition frontbench.
But yesterday Ms Harman, normally notorious for her politically correct views, told Labour delegates at the conference in Oban there was ‘incredulity’ at seeing Scottish MP Mr Alexander as ‘the frontman for the Tory cuts’.
She added: ‘Now, many of us in the Labour Party are conservationists – and we all love the red squirrel.
‘But there is one ginger rodent which we never want to see again in the Highlands – Danny Alexander.’
Mr Alexander himself sought to make light of the remark, posting a comment on his Twitter site saying: ‘I am proud to be ginger and rodents do valuable work cleaning up mess others leave behind.
‘The red squirrel deserves to survive – unlike Labour.’
But George Lyon, the Scottish Liberal Democrat Election chairman, said: ‘It’s a sad day in politics when the deputy leader of the Opposition resorts to attacking Government Ministers about the colour of their hair.
‘This is absolutely pathetic and deeply offensive to redheads across the country.
‘There are no depths to which the Labour party will not stoop. They aren’t fit to be in Opposition, let alone in Government.
Danny Alexander.................. Beaker
‘Instead of throwing personal abuse at the Lib Dems, she should apologise for the shocking financial mess her Government created.’
Shirley-Anne Somerville, a Scottish Nationalist member of the Scottish Parliament and one of the assembly’s most striking redheads, said: ‘Coming from the doyenne of po-faced political correctness, these remarks show she and Labour have lost the plot since losing the Election.’
She also claimed the remarks were ‘anti Scottish’.
Last night a spokeswoman for Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister and Lib Dem leader, refused to ‘dignify Ms Harman’s remark with any comment’.
Marian Purdy, of Redhead and Proud, which calls itself the No 1 website for redheads, said: ‘It is a very inappropriate thing to say these days – and it is sad that people still do it. I am disappointed and surprised.’
dailymail.co.uk
Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman has apologised after calling a political rival a "ginger rodent."
Harman, nicknamed "Hattie Harperson" because of her politically correct views and who was Equalities Minister when Labour were in power, was not very PC after attacking the red-headed Danny Alexander.
Liberal Democrat Alexander is the Treasury Chief Secretary in the Tory/Liberal Democrat government and was the brains behind the savage spending cuts which were recently announced live on TV in the Commons by Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, spending cuts which are necessary to reduce the huge deficit, the largest in the G20, bequeathed to us by the Labour Government.
Harperson, who is also Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, was making a speech in Oban during Labour's annual conference in Scotland - a place which has an abundance of ginger-haired people.
She told delegates: ‘Now, many of us in the Labour Party are conservationists – and we all love the red squirrel.
‘But there is one ginger rodent which we never want to see again in the Highlands – Danny Alexander.’
But now, forced by her boss, Labour leader Ed Miliband, Harman has issued a grovelling apology.
On his Twitter page, Mr Alexander said: ‘I am proud to be ginger."
And, in a great revenge attack against Labour, he said: Rodents do valuable work cleaning up mess others leave behind."
A member of the SNP, Scotland's nationalist party, has accsued Harperson's remarks as being "anti-Scottish" and said "coming from the doyenne of po-faced political correctness, these remarks show she and Labour have lost the plot since losing the Election."
Funnily enough, Alexander, who is himself a Scot, has probably seen many real ginger rodents in his time. Before entering politics, he was Head of Communications for Cairngorms National Park, which is famous for its red squirrels, Britain's native squirrels (unlike the uglier pest imported from North America the grey squirrel).
Alexander has also been nicknamed "Beaker" because of his resemblance to the Muppets character.
Harriet Harman takes a swipe at 'ginger rodent' Danny Alexander
By Brendan Carlin and Michael Tait
31st October 2010
Daily Mail
Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman was forced by Ed Miliband to apologise yesterday after she branded Treasury Minister Danny Alexander a ‘ginger rodent’.
Ms Harman, the former Equality Minister, hurled the insult at red-headed Mr Alexander during a speech at the party’s annual Scottish conference.
But Labour sources said that after a direct order from party leader Mr Miliband, she was forced to apologise and withdraw the rodent slur.
Seeing red: Harriet Harman was forced to apologise for her insult, but Danny Alexander laughed it off, saying he was 'proud to be ginger'
‘Harriet Harman has apologised for her comment about Danny Alexander and says it was wrong,’ said a hastily issued Labour Party statement.
Mr Alexander’s shock of red hair has already led to unflattering comparisons between the Treasury Chief Secretary and ‘Beaker’, the hapless ginger-haired character from The Muppet Show.
Labour has also condemned Lib Dem MP Mr Alexander for his key role in drawing up the package of huge spending cuts while also privately targeting him as a weak link on the Coalition frontbench.
But yesterday Ms Harman, normally notorious for her politically correct views, told Labour delegates at the conference in Oban there was ‘incredulity’ at seeing Scottish MP Mr Alexander as ‘the frontman for the Tory cuts’.
She added: ‘Now, many of us in the Labour Party are conservationists – and we all love the red squirrel.
‘But there is one ginger rodent which we never want to see again in the Highlands – Danny Alexander.’
Mr Alexander himself sought to make light of the remark, posting a comment on his Twitter site saying: ‘I am proud to be ginger and rodents do valuable work cleaning up mess others leave behind.
‘The red squirrel deserves to survive – unlike Labour.’
But George Lyon, the Scottish Liberal Democrat Election chairman, said: ‘It’s a sad day in politics when the deputy leader of the Opposition resorts to attacking Government Ministers about the colour of their hair.
‘This is absolutely pathetic and deeply offensive to redheads across the country.
‘There are no depths to which the Labour party will not stoop. They aren’t fit to be in Opposition, let alone in Government.
Danny Alexander.................. Beaker
‘Instead of throwing personal abuse at the Lib Dems, she should apologise for the shocking financial mess her Government created.’
Shirley-Anne Somerville, a Scottish Nationalist member of the Scottish Parliament and one of the assembly’s most striking redheads, said: ‘Coming from the doyenne of po-faced political correctness, these remarks show she and Labour have lost the plot since losing the Election.’
She also claimed the remarks were ‘anti Scottish’.
Last night a spokeswoman for Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister and Lib Dem leader, refused to ‘dignify Ms Harman’s remark with any comment’.
Marian Purdy, of Redhead and Proud, which calls itself the No 1 website for redheads, said: ‘It is a very inappropriate thing to say these days – and it is sad that people still do it. I am disappointed and surprised.’
dailymail.co.uk
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