Another arrogant MP.

Sticks and stones may break my bones but calling never hurt me.
That is so untrue. I can't be bothered to elaborate, it should be obvious.

feetlebaum

This would be quite a different story if the offender had been young and black...or white

Yawn... sticks and stones... whatever happened to that?

Number 10 has said that David Cameron is standing by Andrew Mitchell and, naturally, accepts his word. That's probably the kiss of death. Number 10 has made no comment about the police account of the encounter.

The Tory party still regards itself as the natural party of government and a large number of current Tory MPs talk as if they had won the election.

I do not understand why this man hasn't been removed by Cameron.
There was more than one police officer on the gate, who presumably heard what he said, and they will have made reports in writing.

Mitchell has implied they have told lies but has no witness to corroborate his story.
If someone took a shot at him he would expect those officers to lay down their lives to defend him!

Not only do his attitudes damage his party, more importantly they damage the morale of the whole population. As a woman I have spent years being put down by men who believed they are superior just because they are men.
I am not wandering off thread, I am considering how men behave when they are in danger of losing power. The situation is the same. These men, usually, white, heterosexual(?), public school educated men have ruled the roost for centuries. They survive by putting down their inferiors. They may pay lip service to change but when put under pressure they revert to type. For the morale of the country it would be remiss to let this go.

Read a couple of articles about him in the Sunday Times, he sounds appalling and arrogant and does nothing to dispel the public's perception of the Tories being a party of lofty smacked arsed faced toffs. Once again David Cameron has displayed awful judgement, he should have sacked him, an apology because his behaviour is making bad headlines means nothing. There are too many people who have reported their experiences of his high handed behaviour which suggests he believes he is a superior being who can talk anyway he likes to people he perceives to be his inferiors, it's unacceptable. These attitudes do his party much damage.

I would say that "pleb" was used like that at my public school, too. Happily I grew up and learned to know better!

Sorry, JessM. That's where I saw the bit about the nickname, then!

They said on 'Today ' that the term 'pleb' is in general use at Rugby for people who are 'not like us'. His school nickname is said to be 'Thrasher'. No, it isn't very important compared to what's happening elsewhere in the world but what we learn about is filtered through what the media think will attract the most attention. That's worrying.

I am sure that what he actually said was "Please open the gate for me" and when the policeman refused he replied "Oh bother what an incovenience" Which of course will lead for the need to apologise

nanadog,

Obviously bags my brain is not capable of discerning what is important and what is not.

I think I have been spending too much time reminiscing about my student days and I am getting quite Bolshie.

Interestingly, there is a programme on SKY called The British . It reminds us that Britain as it is today did not just evolve into this democracy but is the result of centuries of bitter conflict and civil war. Perhaps our leaders (and I use that term very loosely) should stop being so complacent. Civil war and unrest is not the prerogative of the Middle East.

Should have been no longer not loner

The reporting of this incident doesn't set it in context. These are specialist security officers who are highly trained to remain calm to deal with all eventualities, and they are used to self-important people from all walks of life. Their daily briefings will encompass any recent security issues, so MPs can't just assume the status quo every time they visit Downing Street. This twit complaining he had a difficult day won't wash with the police after the week they've had, but I bet they stayed calmer than him!

I don't think the story has been given more limelight than it warranted. It's about attitudes and attitudes are important, especially in elected 'leaders'. If we don't object when they abuse us, we are allowing them to whittle away at hard won freedoms — freedoms which, as some people have pointed out, those in other countries such as Syria, are hardly near to even tasting yet. There is plenty of information available about the conflict in Syria. Nobody needs to be uninformed about it unless they choose to be, so no amount of objecting to rude politicians in this country is going to make a scrap of difference.

In short, it's still important even though other important things are happening too. Our brains are capable of coping with more than one important idea at a time.

Well either the policeman or Andrew Mitchell is lying.

I just think "pleb" is such a public school word and I can't imagine that the police would have misheard it.

Britain is no loner a feudal state, or is it?

And to think this government accused ordinary folk of ' having a sense of entitlement ' . The class divide is wider than ever and the so called ruling class taking less care to hide it's contempt for those they allegedly serve.

He has made a half-hearted apology, saying he did swear but not at the policemen. Hm.....Time for him to do a John Terry, I think.
I am afraid some public-school educated people think that the 'lower classes' are a different species from themselves. There was an interesting programme on TV some time ago, when boys at a prep school met boys from a local primary and were actually surprised to find that they were actually 'quite decent chaps'.

Well put Glit my point exactly but expressed more elequently.