Amber Rudd vs Diane Abbott – Everyone’s quick to take offence in 2019

Amber Rudd a Tory MP (right), today, referred to Labour MP Diane Abbott (left) as “coloured”, as reported by The New Statesman.

Clearly a slip of the tongue for Ms Rudd, but because everyone’s quick to take offence these days, I wondered how Ms Abbott would prefer to be referred to: Woman of colour? Black? Jeremy Corbyn’s ex? Someone who rates Mrs Tembe’s choice of wigs?

Everyone’s too quick to take offence in 2019. In a previous life, I worked in a place where I used to visit people in their homes. One day, our team got a call because they’d had a visit from “the Asian visitor”. They meant me. I was born in Manchester to white parents (so I’m told) and I’m more pasty than Marcel Marceau!

Later, I worked on the frontline in the office. Some people thought I was Turkish, Indian, Jewish/Pakistani (apparently possible but I’m told I wouldn’t be popular). My favourite was Greek, as if I was, then I’d have relatives over there I could stay with every summer.

And then one day, a black man told me, “I want to be served by a WHITE person, not a black person like YOU!”

Bemused, I instantly retorted (winding him up), “I AM white. And you’re RACIST. And that’s DISGUSTING!”

He apologised but the whole thing was very odd indeed. Maybe he had cataracts??

Is it coz I is white?

(That’s a take on an Ali G joke, in case anyone takes offence…)

Seriously, it takes a lot to offend me… unless you park outside my gate.