Aspies For Freedom

George Osborne landed in hot water with the National Autistic Society yesterday after he was accused of suggesting that Gordon Brown was faintly autistic.
Mr Osborne denied making the claim at the conference, but the society said any perceived use of autism as a term to mock someone could cause deep distress. He made the faux pas at a conference fringe meeting. When asked if he might have been faintly autistic, he quipped: "We're not getting on to Gordon Brown yet."
A spokesman for the National Autistic Society said: "It is a complex disability that can be challenging and distressing for the people who live with it. To use the term autism in a pejorative way can cause offence and can increase the misunderstanding and confusion that already exists."
Mr Osborne's comments followed David Cameron's personal attack on the Chancellor at the weekend when he described Mr Brown as tragic and weak.
George Osborne landed in hot water with the National Autistic Society yesterday after he was accused of suggesting that Gordon Brown was faintly autistic.
Mr Osborne denied making the claim at the conference, but the society said any perceived use of autism as a term to mock someone could cause deep distress. He made the faux pas at a conference fringe meeting. When asked if he might have been faintly autistic, he quipped: "We're not getting on to Gordon Brown yet."
A spokesman for the National Autistic Society said: "It is a complex disability that can be challenging and distressing for the people who live with it. To use the term autism in a pejorative way can cause offence and can increase the misunderstanding and confusion that already exists."
Mr Osborne's comments followed David Cameron's personal attack on the Chancellor at the weekend when he described Mr Brown as tragic and weak.

From theherald.co.uk

That's funny, I was thinking that Brown might be.

Who is Gordon Brown?

Gordon Brown is the British Chancellor of the Exchequer and responsible for the British budget. The chancellor's placeof residence is Number 11 Downing Street.

That's the official residence but Blair lives at number 11 currently: they swapped because at the time Blair needed the extra space for his larger family.
This whole autustic name calling trend appears to be becoming more popular; years ago the word used would have been "spastic" now it's "autistic". To me the actual term used isn't too relevant; they're all as bad as each other and they all highlight the feelings that society has towards those they feel are inferior ie those that are different.

It was certainly a very silly comment to make.

Well, to use the term as an insult is unforgivable- but he may have a point, most people distrust Gordon Brown simply by listening to him.
I think he will be a good Prime minister.
When Tony steps down.
Eventually.

Tony Blair: *holding on to his Prime Minster's desk's leg, while trying to be dragged away from office* Noooo! NOOOOO!

Heh heh.

NT has been used on this forum as an insult.  I wouldn't be insulted if the word 'autistic' were used to describe me.

The problem is not use of the word "autistic". The problem is they make it sound like a bad thing. If I were on this parliament/whatever, I would have immediately shot back with "So was Einstein. Your point?". But our (un)elected bean counters are just too uninsightful to do such things.

Most wouldn't know an imaginative comment if they tripped over one.

I've heard the word "autistic" used in offensive ways at school, but politicians :|.. wow. They just sunk to a new low.

That must be a very low low indeed.

George Osborne is a public figure; he should have had the wit to recognise when he was being set up like that.

It was the Reporter who made the suggestion of 'autistic' on very flimsy grounds, knowing that George Osborne might succumb to temptation. The term 'autistic' has been used in a disparaging sense towards other public figures and on the same basis of prejudice before.

I think the Reporter/Interviewer should be disciplined by whatever professional body oversees such reporters, since she was trying to discredit a prominent Conservative spokesman by pandering to simplistic prejudice.

As for George Osborne, he should think before he opens his mouth. Osborne might also like to reflect on the fact that the man he attempted to insult (and by doing so, actually insulted quite a few potential voters), stands a far better chance of becoming the next Prime Minister than he himself does. That should put paid to such opportunistic and spite jibes.

We had a federal politician in Australia who confessed to being "possibly slighty autistic" and has a son with full blown Autism (which is why he quit). Former National Party leader and deputy PM Tim Fisher. It's actually not neccesarily a bad thing. In a government that generally I can't stand, Tim was OK.