42 random responses to Robbie Moore’s Facebook post about Anne Dixon
How a random selection of people responded on social media ...
Last week, On 20 August, the MP for Keighley and Ilkley posted a video to Facebook titled, “Shipley MP ‘misleading public’ on grooming inquiry”. The MP he was referring to was Anna Dixon. Her forename appeared three times in the accompanying copy.
That post from Robbie Moore went fairly viral. It has been, at the time of writing, liked (which includes other emoji responses like angry and wow) 2.6K times, shared 1.4K times, viewed 146K times and, of particular note for this piece, commented on 1K times on Facebook alone.
It has also become a story in of itself, with Dixon revealing over the weekend that as a direct result of this “misleading video” being shared online by Moore, whom she described as being “irresponsible”, she had “received threats of death and violence”.
“I am shocked by the claim made in the video shared by Moore that I would oppose a Bradford District focus as part of a national inquiry into grooming gangs,” she said in a post on her website.
“This is extremely concerning when the video in question features extracts from an email I sent to one of my constituents on 6 August, the full text of which includes the statement: ‘If the national inquiry deems that another local inquiry is needed in Bradford, this is something I and the local authority will fully support.’ He has chosen to omit this from his video.”
Moore, in turn, responded by saying that the video was not a “personal attack”, despite it being unequivocally focused on Dixon (we’re still not sure on what basis it isn’t). He added: "The fact that the MP for Shipley does not and, from her public comments today, still does not unequivocally support a focus on Bradford in this national inquiry is both a newsworthy and legitimate concern."
Given the fallout emanating from the post, we decided that it would be worthwhile exploring the story from a different angle by looking into how members of the public had responded to the video, which, according to the Yorkshire Post, had included threats against Dixon, which, in turn, led to “Mr Moore’s office report[ing it] to the police”.
Not everyone looks at the comments, after all, and certainly not extensively. Moreover, comments, in general, to posts like Moore’s, are useful to journalists because they objectively reveal a lot about what people genuinely think and feel about topical and emotive issues (and, in this instance, specifically child sexual exploitation and grooming gangs).
After all, these comments often tend to be some of the most visceral and unfiltered expressions of opinion we as journalists have access to, where people, emboldened by the muddled free speech rhetoric of internet personalities and the sociocultural phenomena of the digital age that sometimes go by the name of the “online disinhibition effect”, have no qualms about being frank (which is, of course, fine, but not so much when it crosses the line – a subject, as ever, for another day).
Our original intention was to offer analysis and wider context to the comments but we decided that actually, in this instance it was not only more effectively read in the wild, so to speak, but that it was also better, this time around, to leave the subjective assessment of each comment – as well as the comments taken as a whole – to you, the reader. And if you have any comments of your own, do feel free to leave them below.
Our methodology for selecting the listed comments was simple if not a little crude (it isn’t claimed to be scientific or academic). First we changed the order of comments under Moore’s post to “show all comments” and then we just scrolled for a bit, stopped (sometimes forced by the platform being too slow to load up the next batch) and selected the first comment that we landed on.
We also scrolled up and down, as this approach also felt like a more reasonably unbiased and randomised way to collate the comments with the time we had. Finally, for full transparency, we sometimes ended up accidentally clicking out of the post, so we had to start scrolling again. We’ve also not corrected any typos, of which there were many.
George: “Start a petition get 2 thousand people to sign it she gets recalled must have a buy election.”
John: “Shes just siding with Starmer to rise herself in the party”
Kim: “Why oh why would you try to stop this?? Any decent person with any ounce of conscious would welcome an enquiry. And charges & jail for anyone involved in these heinous acts, which are a disgrace & up there with that evil shitbag Savile... these feckers make me sick.”
Richard: “She would she is friends with naz shah”
John: “Labour, and the modern Left in general, are a serious risk to society. It's become a case of what came first, the chicken or the egg. In their case it's what came first, the problem or their need for one to stay relevant. It looks to me that they are purposely doing things, supposedly in the name of humanity, to keep themselves in a job. It is not only seriously questionable: it's a blatant con; a hustle.”
Annette: “She’s really letting women down,why is she not being taken off by the gangs because she’s probably not worth the bother”
John: “the labour party is organised evil.”
James: “#annadixon what were you thinking ! #bradford has the biggest grooming scandal yet to be exposed. The only reason it hasn't been, is because of MPs and Cllrs like you, covering it up, along with the Police.”
Ryan: “I've noticed that since the GE the (Dis)Honourable Members for Bradford East and West have kept their heads down...I wonder why?”
Frances: “What has she got to hide ????”
Colin: “Typical bradford labour approach, its not just grooming, look at little star hobson, hinchcliffe is still there, bunch of lying , look at us city of culture, oh wait while I top up my pension for screwing it all up.”
Glyn: “Seems to be a lot of the officials and those close to them who don't want an enquiry, so makes you wander who is involved in all this…”
George: How on earth can she claim she didn't say something when she is clearly on camera saying it. This Ms Dixon hasn't got a hope in hell of being reelected because Reform will win her seat at the next election and if the Tory's use their brains they should just pop a paper candidate there and not waste funds to help Labour out.”
Quentin: “They’ll keep stalling as an enquiry will highlight political interference and a political agenda to stop certain groups being highlighted as more likely to commit certain types of offences. Figures don’t always lie but statistics can be manipulated to match agenda!”
James: “And it will be wiped away - on this earth at this time it's pure Evil.. we are trying to bring down a force that isn't human!? How do we do that”
Mick: “Don't worry she won't have a job next time people can see through the liebour party built on lie after lie”
Bethany: “The victims need answers. Why were they failed time and time again by the people who were meant to protect them? The police. Social care and other professionals. Why does it keep getting blocked”
Dani: “Unfortunately due to where I live she is my mp. I work in Keighley I go do my supermarket shopping mainly in Keighley (do use bingley aldi too) I do brownies in the Keighley and Ilkley area so I associate myself more with Keighley then Shipley.”
John: “Maybe you just have very short term memories, but who was the M.P. Who raised the whole question of these grooming gangs first and did it when every one else from the main parties did not take on her concerns . Was it not Keighley M.P. Anne Cryer, if my memory serves me correctly a staunch Labour M.P. Unlike modern M.P.s both Anne and her husband before her where people of conviction who actually raised and pursued the interests of ordinary people and who would not be put upon by Government Enforcers.”
Dave: “Another incompetent liar”
Bobby: “That’s just a flavour of lying EU labour , front & back benchers , no words will do”
Geoff: “Lies lies lies and probably the biggest cover up since the Catholic Church….”
Theresa: “All she seems to do is want photo opportunities where ever she goes 😡”
“Lillee: Labour”
Darren: “Get these snowflakes out”
Anthony: “Deselect at the next election”
Beverley: “Just shared to my friends living in Shipley so they know what's going on....or not, depending on how you look at it”
Colin: “Throw her out of office, she is your voice.”
Angela: “Makes me sad to be female, when someone who should be protecting children at the highest level, seem more concerned with her own career.”
Denis: “Most dangerous government in living memory wowwww”
Lorraine: “It is well known that Bradford refuses to have an inquiry. The rise to power is corrupt and power itself corrupts. This country is ruled by fear.”
Denise: “she's a total waste of space like most labour mps, when shown on TV they sit there like nodding dogs in back of a car”
Yvonne: “We knew that already, what we don't know is how many heads will roll and will their face any criminal charges”
Susan: “shameful 🤬”
John: “I did not like Anne Cryres politics but she was old school politics left or right they were good and true in those days Once they lift the lid on the can in Bradford ??????? It’s the Crewe Of the trafficking”
Rachel: “I haven’t wasted any time watching it as it will just be lie lie lie. Anyhow…..why do Liebour try and justify their obvious failings? Do they honestly think that the general public are that stupid?”
David: “This lot will throw our children under the bus for votes. Disgusting self serving basterds.”
Joe: “Could you ask why the CPS keeping renewing Blairite nonce Ivor Caplin's bail? He should've been in court and then prison months ago.”
Graham: “Maybe she should be sacked”
David: “She must stand down”
Elizabeth: “An enquiry doesn’t necessarily help the victims what is needed is that the perpetrators are eradicated from this country and any of their supporters!”
Mick: “She ll be gone soon same as the rest of these shit”