Cockle joke MP slams political correctness

Ian Craig

March 05, 2004

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NO APOLOGY: Ann Winterton

CONGLETON MP Ann Winterton, sacked after telling an offensive joke about the Chinese cockle-pickers who drowned in Morecambe Bay, today condemned the culture of "political correctness" in Britain.

Lady Winterton sparked outrage when she told a joke about sharks eating the victims to an audience at a Whitehall dinner.

Today Tory MPs received a letter from her which did not apologise and said free speech is being "eroded day by day" and that the "freedom for which our forefathers fought will perhaps be lost in the future."

Conservative leader Michael Howard dismissed Lady Winterton, 62, from the parliamentary party after she refused to apologise. It means she cannot take part in any party activity in the Commons.

Tonight members of the Congleton constituency association will meet for their AGM and could discuss the situation. Ultimately she could be deselected after more than twenty years as an MP.

Lady Winterton, wife of Macclesfield MP Sir Nicholas Winterton has vowed to continue to serve the people of Congleton.

The letter says that she is writing to give "background" to what happened claiming "the published version is far from the truth."

Lady Winterton acknowledges that Michael Howard had been put in a difficult position. The letter says: "That is something I very much regret. I regret also that some will have been offended by reading reports taken out of context, but I am sure it will be obvious to colleagues that I had never intended any of this to happen."

Lesson

The incident happened at a Whitehall dinner to discuss Anglo-Danish relations. She claims in the letter it was a private party in a private flat - although it was a hospitality flat owned by the Danish shipping firm Maersk and was attended by MPs from all parties and industry bosses.

"In the course of conversation I repeated something which had been doing the rounds throughout the UK by e-mail." She condemned Labour MP Nick Palmer for leaking what she had said. The letter added that she rang the Danish firm Maersk to apologise - only to find they were totally unaware that anything untoward had taken place.

The letter ends by saying she hopes her experience could be a lesson to other MPs to prevent them from going down the same path. She adds: "It is worrying that `political correctness' is so far entrenched in our country and that no-one is willing to challenge it because of the fear of being destroyed. Free speech is a basic Conservative principle but is being eroded day by day and the very freedom for which our forefathers fought will perhaps be eroded in the future."

It is the second time the Congleton MP has been in hot water over a joke - two years ago she told diners at Congleton rugby club a joke about a Pakistani person being thrown out of a train window. She was sacked from her job as agriculture spokesman. Today Lady Winterton confirmed that she had sent the letter to all Conservative MPs because she believed she had been misquoted.

Lady Winterton was today back in her Congleton constituency where this evening the Conservative Association will hold their AGM at Astbury village hall. Officials say they do not expect the situation to be raised this evening.

IMMIGRATION Minister and Manchester MP Beverley Hughes has apologised for giving inaccurate information to MPs about the Morecambe Bay cockle pickers.

Is this country being spoiled by the spread of political correctness?

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Steve, Manchester (05/03/2004 at 13:54)

I fully agree with Ann Winterton this country is being eroded away by political correctness. The joke has been told by thousands of people up and down the country this type of black humor is part of life, should everyone who has told this joke lose their jobs? Even when they told the joke at a private function?
We have quite a few comedians in this country who make a living from this type of humor, Bernard Manning, Roy Chubby brown, Jim Davison to name but three, all have used or do use this type of humor, should we take them of the stage, it's supposed to be a free country which we live in, leave freedom of speech alone! Soon you will be dammed for your thoughts, the way you look at someone, or the clothes you wear! It was very sad what happened to these people out in the bay but life goes on, humor is a way of dealing with the bad days in life and should not be condemned. Perhaps her timing was a little off using the joke so soon after the event, but I bet everyone knows the joke, and I would also guess most people at least smiled when they heard it.
The only reason it's being highlighted in such a way by the Tory party is to try and win votes! which lets face it they need all the help they can get after the last election. They would probably get more support if they dealt with the cause of the incident; i.e. who were they? Should they have been working out in the bay? Were they illegal immigrants who came over to send money home for there families? The cost of such a journey could have kept the families in food for quite a time I would guess; who are the so called gangs that run these operations?
Instead of keeping this story running in the press, racking it up for the families concerned will be just as hard for these people as the joke was, deal with the real issues behind this story, give the families some justice for there loss, and if you want to get rid of Ann Winterton don't look for these feeble excuses, dismiss her for a real reason.

Blue Dave, denton (05/03/2004 at 15:24)

Totally agree with the last postings - these jokes were seen by millions by text or e-mail virtually the same day as the tragedy and ninety nine time sout of a hundred people chuckled and said that's sick. This country is the pits for political correctness - that is why the vast majority or working people want to leave these shores.

Sarah, Hulme (05/03/2004 at 15:33)

It's easy to slag political correctness, but I wonder how many of it's adversaries are white men? Quite a large proportion I reckon particularly cos they rarely find themselves the subject of the humour they insist is harmless.

Blue Dave, denton (05/03/2004 at 16:39)

Typical you cannot even comment on a web site like this without some do gooder playing the race card. Get in the real world for goodnes sake.

Blue Dave, Denton (05/03/2004 at 16:41)

By the way I am of North african origin and I am never offened by jokes - because that is what they are JOKES! DO YOU GET IT SARAH! JOKES!

J. Smith, Withington (05/03/2004 at 17:31)

I think people are missing the point that this sort of humour is extremely insensitive. Anti-PC people scream about political correctness taking over the country and hide behind that, rather than facing up to the fact that these people-- people with families who are now hurting-- died tragically. If someone made jokes at the tragic deaths of, say, Lucy Royle or little Sam Walker, there would be public outrage. But because the victims in this tragedy happen to be non-white, people think it's all right to make cruel jokes. I think it's sickening. A tragedy is a tragedy, regardless of the race of the victim. There's nothing politically correct about expecting people to maintain standards of human decency.

Steve Bramhill, Liverpool (05/03/2004 at 23:49)

The fuss over Ann Winterton's alleged joke is not because of some politically correct view that it was racist, which I don;t think it was. The complaint was that it was in appallingly bad taste and showed no respect to the relatives of the deceased.

Steve, Manchester (09/03/2004 at 13:32)

The point is not Ann Wintertons joke, J Smith, its the way politicians try and make a gain out of it, by jumping on the band wagon, and neither has it anything to do about race its Freedom of speech no matter how much you find it sick. I find it intolerable that these people are allowed to continue employing these poor people to go back onto the mud flaps and possibly die. This is what the politicians should be dealing with, not some sick joke told by one of their members. I am sick of people attaching the racists slant on everything that does not suit them; this only lets the real issue disappear in a smoke screen of nonsense like this. DEAL WITH THE REAL ISSUES then more people will stay safe in LEGAL employment.

jay darcy, london (21/03/2004 at 22:11)

We have always had bad taste, but these days, since taking on the phrase 'political correctness' everybody is walking on eggshells, afraid that one slip of the tongue will lose them their jobs. What happened to free speech? By the way Sarah, you are wrong about whites not being the butt of offensive jokes. Just look at black comedians, particularly in the US. Ask yourself "Would this be allowed if it was the other way round?"
Of course not. White people are expected to laugh off what is sometimes very offensive material. The kind of stuff that, if it came from a white person, would be completely unacceptable.
My point is, if we have to have a nanny state telling us what we can and can't say, then at least make it apply to everyone. Otherwise, all we have done is swapped roles, and that will lead to further resentment and prejudice in the long run. Equality should mean just that.

Sarah, Hulme (22/03/2004 at 10:56)

I agree Jay Darcy, racial equality and the associated legislation should apply to all. I am no more in favour of white racism manifested through jokes than I am of black racism. It's all the same. I suggest anyone who thinks that I am a stick-in-the mud or devoid of humour go and have a search of any psychological/social science/discursive analysis/cultural studies journal and see what experts who are far more qualified than I think of 'humour' as a vehicle for prejudice. Remember, meaning is a two way street - the teller of a joke may not consider it offensive but still has a responsibility for how others may interpret it. I personally would not wish to utter anything for the amusement of myself or others that might cause offence to someone else, but apparently that's political correctness gone mad.

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