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Are the public peculiar about race?

I just wanted to.use one example of how it sometimes strikes me how concerned about race the public are. Not talking culture or Islam here which is a whole separate issue. I was watching a few videos of Starmer Vs Badenoch at PMQ. Now things like the comments section here can make me lose my faith in humanity. Reason is this, Starmer was in the most self congratulatory and smug mode imaginable as he attempted to put Badenoch down. And it just struck me; this is a man so widely reviled in the UK on what I thought was principal. And yet the moment he becomes so smug in attacking a black woman, this seems to be the only thing that makes him redeemable. Note, it's the contrast in their stances from previously that fascinated me. Like I say, that he was so hated but that seemingly made him redeemable in their eyes. It's reminiscent of the ganging up on Dianne Abbott also. So why do the British public so love people being put in their place when they are the wrong colour? Is our anti racism a myth? We are not morally superior to other countries.

Reply 1

Stiffy Byng

Starmer routinely exposes Badenoch's incompetence during PMQs. There is no evidence that Badenoch's ethnicity has a significant impact on how she is perceived by the public. Note that Conservative Party members, traditionally more likely to hold racist views than other voters, elected Sunak and Badenoch as party leaders.

Starmer is currently doing well in public opinion because of his adroit handling of foreign affairs, after a poor start in domestic policy. Badenoch lurches from one social media driven populist position to another, and has misread the room by sucking up to Trump.

Criticism of Diane Abbott has often been influenced by racism and misogyny, but Badenoch, like Sunak, Truss, and Johnson, is derided because of her incompetence and evident lack of coherent principles.

Reply 2

Gazpacho.

It is not about race. PMQs is combative. A man of Starmer's intellect is of course going to flatten Badenoch.

That a lightweight with a weird obsession with identity politics like Badenoch was able to rise to the top of the Conservatives is a sad indictment of the state of the party.

Reply 3

EuropeanIAm

I take the points but I was more referring to Starmers relative chronic unpopularity compared to the view of him when he faces Badenoch.

Reply 4

Stiffy Byng

Yougov currently shows Starmer on 28% and Badenoch on 24%, so she is less popular than he is.

Sunak was on 18% at the time of the 2024 election (Starmer was on 22%). Starmer's highest rating as leader of the Opposition was 30%.