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Fury over MP's Norfolk 'inbred' slur


Dr Kenneth Noisewater
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Fury over MP's Norfolk 'inbred' slur

Publisher:  Ian Morgan

 

A Norfolk MP has sparked anger by blaming a rise in diabetes on his "inbred" constituents.

 

Dr Ian Gibson, former chairman of the Science and Technology Committee, was reportedly asked during an interview what he thought was causing high levels of the condition in the county.

 

He said: "I would imagine it is linked to the fact that people in Norfolk are quite inbred with many not leaving the county.

 

"It is something that needs to be looked at as a priority, especially as many cases are linked to obesity, too."

 

Challenged by the Eastern Daily Press on whether local people would be offended by his views, the Labour MP replied: "Probably, but they are inbred. If you look at the names in Norfolk, there's a lot that are the same.

 

"There is an inbreeding complex in villages - people inter-marry. That might mean more of them have got the same gene which predisposes them to it."

 

Research has shown that some 345 children in Norfolk suffer from type 1 diabetes - more than double the 160 predicted cases for the county.

 

The number of under-fives diagnosed with the condition has also been rising sharply.

 

But Dr Ketan Dhatariya, consultant diabetologist at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, condemned the MP's remarks.

 

"That's disgraceful," he told the newspaper. "It's an insult to people with type 1 diabetes and their families and it's an insult to people in Norfolk. There's no suggestion that that is the case.

 

"It's not the way that genetics works. There is a genetic element, but it may be triggered by an environmental factor. Nobody knows why it is rising."

 

Dr Gibson, a former science lecturer at the University of East Anglia, has been MP for Norwich North since 1997.

 

The 67-year-old was returned with a majority of 5,459 at the last election.

 

Norman Lamb, Liberal Democrat frontbencher and MP for North Norfolk, said Dr Gibson's comments were "offensive" and "surprising" from a respected scientist.

 

"It's inevitably insulting to families with diabetes in the family, and with children who are diabetic.

 

"You've got to be very careful in making such comments. It reinforces stereotypes and prejudices which, at the end of the day, is very unhelpful.

 

"If you're saying something deeply controversial of that sort you've got to have evidence to support it. I'm not aware of any evidence to support his assertion."

 

Mr Lamb added: "We appear to have rising levels of diabetes, but are we really saying that inbreeding is on the increase?

 

"I have a lot of respect for Ian as a colleague and a respected scientist, but the comments are ill-judged."

 

Simon O'Neill, director of care and policy at Diabetes UK, said: "We still don't fully understand the relationship between genetics and diabetes and there is ongoing research into this area.

 

"However we do suspect that a mixture of genetics, environmental factors and infections all play a role in children developing diabetes."

 

Copyright Press Association 2006

 

:D

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Wrong language but overall not a bad suggestion imo.

 

People would think brother/sister but 3rd cousins etc would be pretty bad - you only have to look at the royal families of europe in the 19th/20th century to see its a possibility.

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I think he's spot on, It accounts for so much of the fuck-wittery over the boarder in bandit country !

 

You'd never see any of that kind of activity here in Suffolk !

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I think he's spot on, It accounts for so much of the fuck-wittery over the boarder in bandit country !

 

You'd never see any of that kind of activity here in Suffolk !

175837[/snapback]

 

 

Heheh Lowestoft, nice place :D I`m in Ipswich. We just earmarked Lowestoft as the type of place to open a Cash Converters style business as it has the perfect demographics. Sorry if its got better since i was last there.

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Doesn't Jimbo live in Norfolk?

 

My Geography aint great but if he does then, yeah I see that blokes point :D

175850[/snapback]

 

How much of a fooookwit do I look now? follow the bloke in the thread when he points out hes in Suffolk! :D

 

 

 

(still reckon you moved away when you were young though :icon_lol:)

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True story.

 

Me and a group of co-workers were having a piss-up.

We all had to tell of an experience of some sort.

Eventually one of us started telling us about him and his sister. It slowly dawned on us exactly what he was telling us! (I'm sure you can guess):D:D:icon_lol::icon_lol::):):razz:

Nothing was said, in fact all I can remember is silence at the end of his tale.

 

Strange, but true.

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True story.

 

Me and a group of co-workers were having a piss-up.

We all had to tell of an experience of some sort.

Eventually one of us started telling us about him and his sister. It slowly dawned on us exactly what he was telling us! (I'm sure you can guess):D  :D  :icon_lol:  :icon_lol:  :)  :)  :razz:

Nothing was said, in fact all I can remember is silence at the end of his tale.

 

Strange, but true.

175858[/snapback]

The big question Mr Hips is are you and your sister as close these days?

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True story.

 

Me and a group of co-workers were having a piss-up.

We all had to tell of an experience of some sort.

Eventually one of us started telling us about him and his sister. It slowly dawned on us exactly what he was telling us! (I'm sure you can guess):D  :D  :icon_lol:  :icon_lol:  :)  :)  :razz:

Nothing was said, in fact all I can remember is silence at the end of his tale.

 

Strange, but true.

175858[/snapback]

The big question Mr Hips is are you and your sister as close these days?

175862[/snapback]

 

Vomit alert!!! :razz::razz::razz:

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I think he's spot on, It accounts for so much of the fuck-wittery over the boarder in bandit country !

 

You'd never see any of that kind of activity here in Suffolk !

175837[/snapback]

 

 

Heheh Lowestoft, nice place :D I`m in Ipswich. We just earmarked Lowestoft as the type of place to open a Cash Converters style business as it has the perfect demographics. Sorry if its got better since i was last there.

175851[/snapback]

 

No, its no better, I'm sure Cash Converters will fit in nicely with Lidl's, Aldi, Poundstretcher, Poundland and the local Sue Ryder shop.

 

:D

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