But can you fit a pie through your veil?
Lottie:
October 8th, 2006
Well, if Jack Straw intended to open up debate over a Muslim woman’s choice to wear her veil, he certainly got his wish. Unfortunately, when a story goes ballistic, as this one has, everyone wants to jump on the band wagon, and this includes tired, out of shape, badly in need of some good press competitors such as John Prescott.
Prescott leapt to the defence of Muslim women, declaring that he would never ask a woman to remove her veil. However, he also tactfully praised Straw for prompting a “proper debate” of the subject.
Prescott has somewhat retreated into the shadows since his recent array of scandals. I can’t help feeling though, that he’s now picking an easy story to give himself a leg up back into the zone of political credibility. Whilst the comments Prescott made were considered and diplomatic, they also smacked of publicity; an exercise to defend both his own values and the stance of the Labour Party in one fellish swoop. Thus, this ‘proper debate’ suddenly becomes reductive and self serving. Whether it began as a serious political issue, a media stunt or simply someone’s ill expressed personal views, it transforms, as always, into another soap box for all our favourite characters to twist and shout upon.