Question Time

[bluethrunthru]

I see she has had to step back from her charity work with Refuge, who she has supported for 25 years, because of the social media pile on. She has also clarified that she was obliged to say what she said to provide balance. Her words have been misquoted and twisted.
This social media world is dangerous.

Two points to raise there

1/ if thats the truth why not say that the
2/ if thats the truth why have refuge asked her to step down?

This is what she actually said - and the obvious reason Johnson himself hasn't said as such is that presumably lying does come to him quite as easily as it does his son

 

[bluethrunthru]

and as for the "one off"

 

[blue for life]

Her intervention was disgraceful but guess what she will be presenting again this week!

 

[Mraitch]

I have seen it repeatedly.
My interpretation was, and remains, that Yasmin stated it was on public record.
Fiona’s clarification was that Johnson’s wife has made the claim and to Tom Bower, that Johnson had never commented on it, but friends of his had confirmed that it had happened but only once.
Fiona is stating facts, and what she states show that in all likelihood it did happen.
I think that the term it being on public record he is a wife beater was perhaps the contentious point.
Fiona’s statement supports the view he was likely a wife beater and in no way trivialises the actions. She did not suggest it only being once was in some way excusable.

I think, as frequently happens, a statement is misunderstood, then massively misrepresented.

She has voluntarily stepped down from a charity that she has supported for 25 years due to the adverse noise that it has generated. I think that is very sad.

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

I see she has had to step back from her charity work with Refuge, who she has supported for 25 years, because of the social media pile on. She has also clarified that she was obliged to say what she said to provide balance. Her words have been misquoted and twisted.
This social media world is dangerous.

It was the way she stepped in. All she had to say was 'Stanley isnt here to defend himself' she didn't have to do it for him.

 

[Mraitch]

It was the way she stepped in. All she had to say was 'Stanley isnt here to defend himself' she didn't have to do it for him.

But her stepping in highlighted that in all likelihood, he did hit her. It strengthened the case rather than weakened it and was stating facts.

 

[kaz7]

But her stepping in highlighted that in all likelihood, he did hit her. It strengthened the case rather than weakened it and was stating facts.

It was his friends who she quoted as just the once, that is his frends being told by him it was once, not facts, she shouldnt have gone there

 

[Mraitch]

It was his friends who she quoted as just the once, that is his frends being told by him it was once, not facts, she shouldnt have gone there

In the statement she said

His wife told Tom Bower he beat her
Johnson has never publicly commented on it
Friends said it did happen, but only once.

All are statements of fact on what had been said Or not said in Johnson’s case.

If she just stated the first two points it would be husband’s word against wife.
By adding the third point it increases the likelihood that it did happen at least once.

Nobody outside the Johnsons can state as a fact that it did or didn’t happen, or how many times, as it has never been tested legally.

I really believe Fiona’s statements have been misunderstood.

 

[bluethrunthru]

If Fiona Bruce has been an ambassador for and working with Refuge then she hasn't listened to a word anybody has said in her presence - she must have known there is no such thing as a one off

 

[Mraitch]

If Fiona Bruce has been an ambassador for and working with Refuge then she hasn't listened to a word anybody has said in her presence - she must have known there is no such thing as a one off

She was quoting others.
Her statement increased the likelihood that Johnson was a wife beater, not diminish it.