The political week on Twitter

Friday, 6 January 2012 3:44 PM

All the week's best political tweets in one handy location.

By Ian Dunt

Diane Abbott's comment that "white people love playing 'divide and rule'" prompted anger and dismay on the same social networking site she made it on.

@TwopTwips - DIANE ABBOTT. Defuse the situation by claiming that a lot of your friends are 19th century European colonialists. (via@mrdavidwhitley)

@billybragg - Daily Mail angry over Diane Abbott remarks - trust they will now demand an apology from anyone who generalises about race

@campbellclaret - The stupidity behind Diane Abbott's comment was the assumption that white people can't feel strongly about, or be subject to, racism

@bengoldacre - I dont think the diane abbott tweet is the biggest thing in the world, but she lost my respect when she claimed it was taken out of context.

@ColAdam - Yeah I'm a Labour party member and I can't possibly justify whatDiane Abbott said. She should stick to the TV appearances.

@garyyounge - If only the political class' response to Stephen Lawrence's murder had been as swift and forceful as it was to Diane Abbot's tweet.

An article by Maurice Glasman which said Ed Miliband's Labour leadership had "no strategy, no narrative and little energy" led many commentators to brand David Cameron the luckiest man in British politics.

@ShippersUnbound - Why David Cameron is Britain's luckiest politician. Exhibit 27: two words: Maurice Glasman

@bat020 - I don't recall Ed Miliband giving Maurice Glasman a public "dressing down" over his apologias for the EDL or his anti-immigrant comments.

@DAaronovitch - I'm impressed by the growing realisation that no-one at all agrees with Maurice Glasman. No-one.

@HackneyAbbott - Maurice Glasman supposedly a father figure to Ed Milli. If I had a father like that I'd lock him up.

@jameskirkup - David Cameron's PMQs prep team might as well take next month off and leave DC with copy of Maurice Glasman's NS piece.bit.ly/wxcY7x

@JonathanHaynes - Maurice Glasman on Ed Miliband: "we all need to show him love and support" - It's like he's a seriously ill pet bit.ly/xNma1a

The Republican primaries in Iowa were met with bemused detachment by British commentators and some rather vitriolic attacks across the pond.

@jerslater - Rick Santorum looks like the douchebag FBI agent whose inexperience gets everyone killed in an 80s action movie.

@BarnabyEdwards - 'I have no problem with homosexuality. I have a problem with homosexual acts.' - Rick Santorum admits to his bedroom inadequacy.

@BorowitzReport - Thanks to Rick Santorum, the date when sweater vests will come back in style has been pushed back to never.

@garywhitta - "Contraception is not okay. It's a license to do things in the sexual realm." - Rick Santorum. Just so we know what we're dealing with here.

@jreedmp - Am I the first MP to call Rick Santorum an utter cretin for his comments on the NHS?

@robdelaney - Oh darn, Michele Bachmann won't have access to NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

@OliverKamm - Reminder of what America has lost: Michele Bachmann "will take a close look at the gold standard issue": tiny.cc/brd4o

@HuffPostUK - Baffling valedictory quote from Michele Bachman: "A politician I never have been, nor will I hope to be" huff.to/Ao34lE

And finally, a tweet which deserves its own mention. Ed Miliband responds to reports of the death of Bob Holness.

@Ed_Miliband - Sad to hear that Bob Holness has died. A generation will remember him fondly from Blackbusters.

Tags:
• diane abbott
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• republicans
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• twitter