Democracy and Monarchy

[subcontrabass]

If you don't have a Twitter account you get asked to join or sign in after you've looked at a few tweets. So it is rather cryptic.

Click on the login option and then close the pop-up window ("X" in top left corner), and then you can carry on viewing without interruption.

[french frank]

Click on the login option and then close the pop-up window ("X" in top left corner), and then you can carry on viewing without interruption.

Ooh, thank you. Not that I often look at Twitter - but it's useful to know.

[majorminor]

Try nitter.net … it’s a good way to view tweets without an account.

[Dave2002]

It's not only seeming to laugh which we need to worry about. What's happening now - today - is of greater concern.

[cat]

I believe he has ADHD, he has publicly supported ADHD Foundation events before. The "fidgeting" is certainly consistent with such a diganosis. He has similarly incongruous mannerisms in the Commons, where for example when he ought to be scowling with disapproval like his colleagues at something a Labour person has said, you might instead see him smiling or nodding in apparent agreement.

This is probably why the story hasn't gained "traction", because inquiring journalists are made aware that there's no great scandal of disrespect behind it, and that he doesn’t want to talk on the record about his condition.

[RichardB]

I believe he has ADHD, he has publicly supported ADHD Foundation events before. The "fidgeting" is certainly consistent with such a diganosis. He has similarly incongruous mannerisms in the Commons, where for example when he ought to be scowling with disapproval like his colleagues at something a Labour person has said, you might instead see him smiling or nodding in apparent agreement.

This is probably why the story hasn't gained "traction", because inquiring journalists are made aware that there's no great scandal of disrespect behind it, and that he doesn’t want to talk on the record about his condition.

In that case, though I find his politics abhorrent, it does seem reprehensible (and a sad example of how social media is used so often to harass people for traits they can't do anything about) that people have thoughtlessly piled in to give it even the traction that it has had. Having looked at the clip without knowing about this diagnosis, I was wondering what was going on there, I found it strange and incomprehensible rather than anything else, and your explanation makes it completely clear.

[french frank]

I was wondering what was going on there,

I also saw it as bizarre rather than 'disrespectful'. On another Twitter account someone just wrote 'ADHD?' but no one responded. I imagine the event could have been quite a trial. Unfortunate.

[muzzer]

And yet no such explanation has been forthcoming.

[oddoneout]

I believe he has ADHD, he has publicly supported ADHD Foundation events before. The "fidgeting" is certainly consistent with such a diganosis. He has similarly incongruous mannerisms in the Commons, where for example when he ought to be scowling with disapproval like his colleagues at something a Labour person has said, you might instead see him smiling or nodding in apparent agreement.

This is probably why the story hasn't gained "traction", because inquiring journalists are made aware that there's no great scandal of disrespect behind it, and that he doesn’t want to talk on the record about his condition.

When I saw a brief clip of the behaviour I did wonder about possible causes - not least because what was happening seemed similar to a young man of my acquaintance who is on the autistic spectrum and tends to react in a similar way to situations of tension and high emotion.
It is understandable, if there is such a problem as autistic spectrum or ADHD, that he might not want to talk about it but I'm not sure, given the position he now holds that he can maintain that approach. The adverse attention the clip has attracted is surely worse than whatever it might take to say "look I have this condition, it can cause apparently odd behaviour, but it does not affect my ability to do my job" . That would take the heat and censure off him and also do an immense amount of good for the cause of ADHD or whatever the issue is. As it is the initial reactions and assumptions will stick in far too many minds now, even if there is a perfectly acceptable explanation.

[JasonPalmer]

I would prefer to live in a republic.

[Serial_Apologist]

I would prefer to live in a republic.

At least the mainstream media would have something other than the Palace soap opera to get their teeth into to keep the public away from genuinely concerning issues, though that wouldn't be any more pleasant or enlightening.