Political blooper: MP's Scottish accent baffles British parliamentarian

[@Matt-rw9py]

I’m Polish and I understood his question very clearly. I’m just wondering who taught him to speak Polish so well??

[@poptart6210]

I live in Scotland, at low a tone the Polish women and scottish women sound identical

[@audhumbla6927]

hahaha, im swedish and i understood to

[@anthonymelendez949]

As an Latino American I fully understand what he said word for word idk how even Brit's can't pick it up

[@rachelcookie321]

@@anthonymelendez949 Londoners. Lots of them barely know the rest of the country. My cousin went to university in London and one of her classmates who was from London didn’t know where Scotland was, she thought it was in mainland Europe.

[@poptart6210]

@@anthonymelendez949 Its mockery, scotland is consider by the english elite and I suppose ireland too, backwards, or not as civilised so to speak.Its funny because scotland has had "civilization" on Britain, along side the welsh(the original Britons),and cornwall thousands of years before an anglo saxon or norman set foot on the british shores,while also having a shared language with other people in europe and a time before rome and germans was the vast majority of middle and western europe (with the slavs being a massive part of eastern europe still to this day),and I think thats part of the twisted humour of the English take a peoples language culture spread them throughout the world keep them poor and then pretend to act surprised when they dont speak with a posh english accent,strange thing about scotland my last name and the majority of the population is Irish they've tried to erased scotland and have just created more scotland people than before

[@tensorific]

"Just give him any old answer" - said like a true politician

[@sahazel4675]

For real

[@HubbaBuddah]

An insane statement in this contex

[@dmystfy]

Exactly smh

[@hfbnffsdugai3754]

satisfactory!

[@RichardCox0]

I love politics

[@insomcafe]

He's a nice guy for thinking of his colleagues with disability and wondering if anything could be done to make the place more accessible so that those colleagues could move more freely. Bravo to him.

[@KhaledTheSaudiHawkII]

Im terribly sorry I couldn’t follow your statement. Could you please repeat it slowly so I can understand what you’re trying to say. Thank you.

[@dariogreggio7981]

i have been disabled

[@SnaKe23599]

@@dariogreggio7981 who disabled you?

[@dariogreggio7981]

@@SnaKe23599 because of this video my chromosomes got fkd up

[@hwago123]

By disabled he means they also have thick Scottish accents.

[@PBurns-ng3gw]

He later submitted his question in writing as suggested, only for his colleagues to discover that his handwriting was incomprehensible.

[@quetzal3000]

nice try on the joke but nah

[@Mrman_55]

@@quetzal3000come on man, give him some credit 🤣🤣

[@xzaz2]

I dont understand. Can you repeat that?

[@dudyorz]

I died

[@alinaqirizvi1441]

Yeah he used the Scottish alphabet

[@cmwong98]

Wow... his accent is thick but can be understood by listening carefully.

[@Original_Dalvik]

It’s pretty easy pal

[@fm6419]

@@musti12312 not English, NZer

[@kevinlongman007]

@@musti12312 I'm English, have never lived in Scotland and I understood him perfectly!

[@workingmamma5342]

I can too. And I am French Canadian, english is not even my first language. It takes a few minutes getting used to, is all.

[@fraser_mr2009]

i think he was being sarcastic.

[@nathanmamo3970]

Centuries of British history condensed into one minute.

[@wanderinghobo4917]

"oh no, you're welsh!"

[@Alexandros.Mograine]

funny thing is the accents arent old at all. even independent america is older.

[@LivingDead77]

@@Alexandros.Mograine How so?

[@venerdinarsames9702]

@@Alexandros.Mograine ?

[@soundsofdeep5975]

@@Alexandros.Mograine what?

[@reraoriharhoaifbkoasfbfef]

People here aren’t realizing that we’re hearing him mic’d closely but they’re listening to his voice in a huge echoey room, I would imagine that would make things a lot more difficult if he was that far away too.

[@en1909s9iah]

and he was elderly, which probably meant his hearing was not as sharp

[@megamef]

@@en1909s9iah ironically he was asking for help with his disability and everyone laughed at him

[@okyouknowwhatever]

Plus he's talking unnecessarily fast.

[@thetalesofdaneandco]

This should probably be the top comment.

[@youtopuck]

trueee

[@VOLightPortal]

As a persons of non Scottish background his Japanese was impeccable and perfect.

[@PasmiahGuiaral]

😂😂😂

[@eliztshiamamukendi6082]

😂😂😂😂

[@Elizabethloveit93]

Fr fr

[@Ashainm]

"-I'm Welsh so God help him-" Will admit, this ending made me laugh.

[@Critguards]

Absolutely brilliant "I'm Welsh so God help you!" 🤣

[@Rattlerbrand]

so why is he here ? the welsh have their own assembly

[@wagg2o1o]

@@frenzalrhomb6919 because you bunch off robbing twats stole everything from us and made us a principality. Trust we dont want to be there. Let you have london and no.10 still illeagal to speak welsh in parliment to.

[@larryhoover2541]

@@frenzalrhomb6919 lmaoooo you're pathetic m8, screaming at nothing. Keep it up I love being reminded I'm sane.

[@fluffyunicorn57]

@@benspiller455 What woman?

[@CthulhuSauce]

I like how when the gentleman asked him to repeat his question he did so faster than the first time, lol.

[@ellafitz4]

I’d say because when people are nervous they tend to speak faster 😭😂 which didn’t really help

[@Designsecrets]

gentleman? you mean the fat politician that needs a hearing aid?

[@caincorn]

Kinda defeats the purpose of repeating the question.

[@LuigiaTV]

No he spoke noticeably slower and broke down his sentence a lot more to make it clearer.

[@nathofmann8169]

Exactly hahaha

[@alexonline2340]

the guy at the end saying “im welsh, so god help him” LOL

[@shiverseeker4630]

Gotta help him..

[@FOH45]

@Jerry god help him cause he was about to ask his own question and if he didn't understand the scottish accent then he's screwed with welsh one

[@sensationlive3528]

@Jerry god help him. Wouldn’t say ‘gotta help him’ here for quite a few reasons.

[@원리를찾아라]

I think he said "I' m welsh so i could help him" which cracked me up

[@leoshest9651]

@@원리를찾아라 lol I thought he said 'im a wheelchair so godfrey helped me' that was hilarious 🤣

[@Wonderwice84]

Understood everything he said perfectly. Thanks Outlander.

[@aSome1]

I thought I was the only one! I mean, even though I couldn't get word by word, it was enough to understand he's asking about accessibility for disabled MPs in the parliament building

[@philipppaasch8929]

Träume weiter

[@libraprncss]

😂

[@RaphaelAmbrosiusCosteau]

I love how he said it even less clearly the second time 😂

[@RB-go8ff]

Was thinking the same and I love how both are still smiling and stay open, seems like both are good people

[@joekreissl4499]

tequila sunset as i live and breathe

[@RaphaelAmbrosiusCosteau]

@@joekreissl4499 The one and only bratan!

[@dbyers3897]

I might believe he was deliberately attempting to humiliate the English MP but his non-verbal language makes me believe he's earnest & sincere. And possibly over-caffeinated.

[@moirapettifr7127]

In my southern American city we speak very slowly 🐌. We are ever so languid but perhaps we merely like to hear ourselves go on and on. Years ago we visited Scotland, and it being a Sunday, no one was out and about except one gentleman who gave us his tie for some reason. He invited us back to his club for a cozy pint. And even tho we did not understand half of what anyone said, it was just a lovely, lovely memorable day. 😊

[@TeacherPaulReacts]

Geez, I'm not even British and I could understand the poor fellow.

[@jooger69]

same here.

[@ekksoku]

It's worth noting, that we're hearing their microphones, and they are in a big echo-y room, with noise etc

[@CommandingElbow]

i couldn't

[@maxwkh]

Is the MP being questioned Australian? I can hear a bit of an accent on him. I can understand the Glaswegian accent clearly, love scottish accents!

[@alexabbey1]

@@maxwkh antipodean means from the southern hemisphere colonies

[@TrueSake]

I met a Scottish guy once here in the USA, couldn’t understand a word he was saying. Asked him to speak slower, he proceeded to speak at the same rate.

[@jacquelinestephenson323]

Well, that's nice. The guy in this vidwo actually spoke FASTER the next time.

[@Weejie2011]

@@jacquelinestephenson323 Vidwo? Nae wonder.

[@TurkeyOW]

@@Weejie2011 nae under oi coldent er enthin! Ets uh vidwo naught uh video!

[@Weejie2011]

@@TurkeyOW Mince.

[@oscarcat1231]

Ha ha ha

[@parinikasharma317]

I'm an Indian and its lovely to see a Scottish MP recite a Sanskrit mantra in the British Parliament❤️

[@MustardPink]

Indians will never not be cringe.

[@notrealatall196]

Would you be as entertained if they mocked u?

[@personalemail9329]

​@@notrealatall196 don't people do that on internet already. Every country is mocked Here.

[@DADDYG-Ryder]

Nah, it didn't sounded like sanskrit, it was completely difference

[@avneeshluthra5803]

@@notrealatall196 why are ya getting pissed brother , he's just making a joke

[@Ballacha]

Clearly something has to be done urgently to make the parliamentary building more accessible to his deaf colleagues.

[@Dae143]

😭😭😭

[@charlie-jd3ls]

🤣🤣🤣

[@HisameArtwork]

best comment by far.

[@Mismad]

😂😂😂

[@prabhakarrao4922]

Love it

[@nugget3846]

As a Scottish i perfectly understood him. His welsh accent is fabulous

[@b00ts4ndc4ts]

Furry boots?

[@0deszuh111]

I thought he’s scottish lmao

[@bramstokes7156]

@@0deszuh111 you don't get it

[@mrkillyourselflol]

​@@bramstokes7156explain pls

[@heylooktheresahaironyourscreen]

​@@mrkillyourselflolhe's saying even Scottish people can't understand that thick accent

[@BijinMCMXC]

I’m American and I understood him perfectly the first time; it’s when he repeated himself that I got lost on some parts lol

[@BijinMCMXC]

@Meadowfrost Excuse me? I’m talking about ME, what I PERSONALLY understood, not how understandable it is tf

[@isaiah7640]

@@BijinMCMXC 🤣🤣

[@ACE53621]

Me, too!

[@lmlm-ph4pp]

I'm American and I didn't understand him. After replaying a few times I understood some of the words.

[@scruffmcgruff03]

@@lmlm-ph4pp funny because its not event that strong an accent

[@Fightandresist]

I understood him quite clearly, and I am an American.

[@Ash-uj3ow]

As a non native english speaker I'm so proud that i was able to understand that

[@SteveJobIess]

Thats how bad his english was

[@adrianbelko7683]

@@SteveJobIess lmfao

[@Matthew.Sweeney]

Yeah, to understand it in your native language? 😜

[@veselinjokanovic3032]

I also understood it very easily. I am baffled how that gentleman had trouble understanding it. Especially given that he seems old and must have encountered Scottish accent once or twice in his life.

[@KevinVang1000]

These racist British still hate Scottish. It reminds me of how China mistreats the Hmong people.

[@jessicadrew5531]

As an American, I was expecting to also be lost, but that was completely understandable 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@TomGibson.]

Ikr can’t believe he couldn’t understand him, the fact he was speaking very clear Spanish with a Scottish accent is also incredible Jk he wasn’t even hard to understand I just think the guy didn’t want to answer the question

[@QueenBee-gx4rp]

Where is everyone?

[@shadowfox009x]

I'm not even a native English speaker and I understood him perfectly. There are much stronger Scottish accents.

[@tracerghost00]

It's because we are surrounded by different accents that use different vocalizations to pronounce words. It's like we were set up before something like this. Over there they are gonna stay close to familiar dialect/accent to make their lives easier.

[@cyberzenASMR]

Americans in the southern region can understand him with ease, because that is the root accent twang and cadences

[@tomerik112]

I'm an Estonian and I'm baffled by his perfect Southern Estonian dialect. Amazing.

[@wiszak9370]

Estonian? No he was asking in plain Arabic about the recent increase in chicken price.

[@dyawr]

@@wiszak9370 😂🤭

[@gregorneier2592]

Seto in british Parliament

[@derekspitz9225]

Racist.

[@LordTelperion]

HAHA!

[@TiffanyLanda]

I had to read the subtitles to understand what he was saying. 😂😂

[@sarahj2607]

This guy literally lives in the same country. I’m Canadian and lived in Scotland and this is not even close to the strongest accent I’ve heard. I understood him quite fine.

[@2Zemog]

@Demon Slayer The United Kingdom is a country consisting of four distinct nations. Some claim the nations within are countries, which they may be depending on your definition of country; however, most definitions don't count England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland as countries. They do not have independence from the UK, nor external recognition, embassies, UN seats etc. In these ways it's more apt to compare them to US states than to US and Canada.

[@Hubcool367]

The second time he speaks, what does he say after "getting around certain parts"? Sounds like a whole other language, some kind of other germanic or maybe slavic language

[@catsberry4858]

So, what?

[@markinvdenvers5424]

Nah, Sarah J, he's a Kiwi & a naturalised British citizen. He was born & raised in New Zealand. We dont even know if he's an indigenous Brit. He could be German New Zealander.

[@marshmello4310]

@@2Zemog your right, you can compare them to one person from New York and another person from Tennessee, both states are in the same country but they have different accents

[@poochyboi]

I'm Asian and I understood him perfectly. The mans clearly asking for directions to the toilet.

[@lakhbawa]

😅😅

[@morris4490]

well it is totally different when you hear someone speaking in the feont of you and on youtube....

[@brajkishorjha2729]

😂😂

[@morris4490]

I am the mixed, I understood his words somehow. 🙄

[@morris4490]

Aye right, Ye dinnae ken it. 🙄

[@JebDMan]

Remember, we're hearing this from a microphone next to the MP, and most of us will have headphones/earphones on. This is some 60 year old dude who has to hear him from across the entire House of Commons.

[@danielmacintyre4170]

The microphones probably also project they’re voices through speakers and into the chamber

[@crazyrobots6565]

@@danielmacintyre4170 only to a certain extent. At least in my experience watching the Ontario Legislative Assembly live, it is harder to hear inside the chamber than watching on TV.

[@aliancemd]

"across the entire House of Commons", trying to make it sound like he was far and there were many people. No, it was basically an empty room with them very close to each other. Just an excuse for a brit making fun of somebody's accent

[@crazyrobots6565]

@@aliancemd oh shut up.

[@glosterjavelin2111]

@@aliancemd you do know because it’s empty it’ll do this thing called an echo, yeah amazing so a 60 or so year old with no doubt some hearing issue will hear double of a Scottish accent

[@ambiguousdrink4067]

Before any more of you say how easy it was to understand, just take into account that they are quite far away in a very echoey room and the MP asking the question is being played over a speaker, while we hear the raw microphone sound directly into our headphones or speakers at a much lower volume and with little to no echo.

[@user-kc1fw5ot7l]

You got the point

[@PLuMUK54]

I am a partly deaf Englishman and understood him perfectly. However, I've been in that situation many times, where I've had so ask someone to keep repeating themselves. It's very embarrassing, especially if I've still not understood after the 3rd attempt.

[@lemon4087]

ye like that youtube video where the girl asks their name a billion times but still can't catch it!!

[@BltchErica]

Yes I find that I can understand even Glaswegians in videos, but in real life all that goes out the window for many different reasons

[@nolikeygsomnipresence270]

In my opinion, when he had to repeat it he made a mistake. If someone asks you to repeat something, it’s quite obvious they didn’t understand you, so you should try to communicate in a way that would make you more understandable for the other person, e.g., by speaking more slowly.

[@federicorazzoli495]

I live in Scotland and I never have this problem. But when they talk to me and I ask to repeat, they slow down or they try to standardise their English. Maybe they don't do this with you because your accent is a native one?

[@kamelryke31]

It happened to me once in France. I am Algerian and I was brought up speaking proper French. In the early 2000, I visited France for the first time. There, I met someone from the South-Ouest of France. He was from a rural area known for its heavy regional accent. I asked him to repeat a sentence 3 times. I was very embarrassed. My ears are more trained now...

[@Slingin_Bait]

I'm a Canadian maritimer. I could understand him, but if he talked any faster my brain translation would be lagging. I could already feel it warming up from watching this.

[@nathanalexander8468]

Well said lol

[@ravenblack7052]

I speak extremely fast too. Difference for us is that we need to keep up with our thoughts and if or when we slow down, we're lost. I struggled with this at school and so much of my work life, until I saw an interview with JRR Tolkien. He spoke at an unbelievably fast pace. I no longer apologize for the way I speak.

[@nymnphi]

waves in fellow maritimer (it does help that my grandmother was scottish, but even she spoke very softly + slowly)

[@davidadeyemi9466]

It's not that he was particularly fast. His accent made the sentences seem like one long slurry of wrds

[@bunkertons]

Howdy, fellow maritimer! I too understood him perfectly. It's probably the New Brunswick/Scotland connection. 😆

[@gemik]

I'm French and he is lucky I'm not the one asking the question.

[@xixixipeopl]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@DoctorSkillz]

You guys are the worst.

[@Pinkie007]

The French aren’t allowed in the parliamentary

[@ZebraGER]

German here, would be the same lmao

[@Skepticalraven]

@Kuncu As a French speaking person myself, I agree. I barely speak it now.

[@prislaem3838]

As a Jamaican with some Scottish ancestry, I understood the question perfectly on the first go around.

[@Harbaksh1234]

How embarrassing .. This man is speaking perfectly clearly! Did any of you stop to think that perhaps French, isn't actually his first language?

[@voicification]

😂

[@atheon596]

Well the man is old and it's in a room, so echoes

[@orpha521]

That is not a French accent lol, I can tell you I'm a French speaker 😭

[@dinanga_revert]

Man said “desabelity” 🤣 stfu

[@Lichelf]

@@orpha521 He said French probably wasn't his first language so of course his accent wouldn't be French either.

[@BltchErica]

a non English native who lives in Scotland trust my that is no way harder to understand in real life?

[@BltchErica]

@@AparicioSaravia-56 Why I'm answer the why talking me to dyslexia?

[@r3doctave657]

@BltchErica Some people just want to be c*nts online. That's how it be sometimes.

[@tobymacdonald5893]

@@BltchEricabecause it’s really not that hard to understand? Also, you’re a non English native. It’s assumed that Scottish will be hard for you to understand. The man asking him to repeat the question is English.

[@norahorphzinger6721]

@@AparicioSaravia-56 as a non-english native who lives in your mum, I advise you to pluck a chicken and roast your carrot.

[@aadamkhan5217]

What’s a non English native?

[@paveldybowicz6089]

I'm Czech and I understood the question on my first listen. Not the entire thing, but he asked about his colleagues with disabilites and whether they (the governing body) can do something about accessibility of the building they're in for those people. I hope I got it right.

[@MemekingJag]

yeah, Scot here, you're correct. i think the main issue was just the speed he was speaking at, that would be difficult in any language.

[@Layput]

Yes, Scottish accent is quite difficult to understand and it doesn't help that this gentleman is racing to get the words out.

[@warbearin]

Exacly good fello'

[@jeffmorse645]

When I was working at a hotel desk in a national park with many foreign visitors I quickly learn to speak at a slow/normal speed and very clearly. I had more than one guest who's first language wasn't English tell me that I was easy to understand. Even if you have a thick regional accent just slow down. People will figure it out.

[@ezza1604]

This must be a Scottish thing then because I think he’s talking at a perfectly normal pace (and talking very clearly) lol

[@James-vy6ck]

Naw it’s no just listen

[@sarahmichie4382]

We've had to learn to understand the mad variety of accents around the UK, maybe the English elite could maybe bother learning ours?

[@fraserandrews3943]

I’m Scottish and honestly no wonder he was difficult to understand. Spoke far to fast and didn’t breathe between sentences

[@anniesamuel4787]

But...I'm Aussie and I understood him perfectly.

[@sn0wdon]

@@anniesamuel4787 To be fair, we're hearing the audio directly from his mic. The other guy is having to interpret him from the other end of a big echoey room.

[@theajthomas]

I'm Canadian and it made perfect sense to me.

[@anniesamuel4787]

@@sn0wdon maybe they could invest in earpieces. 🙂

[@kavishwarmokal124]

Yeah! he spoke too fast like chased by the tiger.

[@grubbygeorge2117]

The word 'antipodean' lowkey caused me more confusion than anything the Scottish guy said lol

[@joshandallo2170]

Antipodean technically means relating to the geographical location on the Earth diametrically opposite where you are, but in modern parlance, it almost always refers to anything from Australia or New Zealand.

[@the_sad_wallet1553]

@@joshandallo2170 the guy is a Kiwi so makes sense

[@rachelcookie321]

@@the_sad_wallet1553 he has dual citizenship and has lived in the uk for most of his life though.

[@jetwhite]

@@rachelcookie321 I can hear an NZ accent coming through!

[@KennyHazy97]

@@joshandallo2170 I think he's using it in a rhetorical sense, implying that he is coming from a background entirely different to that of the MP asking the question. 'Separated by a common language' and all that.

[@5050TM]

American and I understood the first time like most here. I think he just wanted to hear more of his lovely voice😂❤

[@Luke-kq8gh]

It’s easier for us to hear with the speaker in our ears, but the acoustics could be really bad in that building.

[@Brynwyn123]

They aren't though, they can't be or they wouldn't use the room, since that's it's main purpose

[@Lahmacunmatik]

House of Commons is built specifically for the purpose of speaking to someone from the opposite bench. No, the acoustics is good and well-planned.

[@AgungSam]

Yeah I can imagine

[@fountainofspeech1379]

@Sally Rees his accents not a big deal, but when he speaks fast it gets jumbled. He should've just slown down

[@alicemilne1444]

@Sally Rees The other guy is a New Zealander, but as he'd already been in the UK for years, he should have known better. I suspected him of prevaricating because he didn't have an answer to the question.

[@grdprojekt]

As a non native English speaker I'm proud I understand 70% of what he's saying and get his message.

[@bhanksshuggy5158]

Yeah it's not bad Just don't go to Glasgow, that's where they start speaking their own language

[@mryan4452]

​@@bhanksshuggy5158agree. Only English language I didn't understand and needed to read the subtitles on one occasion.

[@mohommedameenahmed2099]

Q

[@abhilashtk6632]

He cant officialy answer for a question that he partially heard. Guess works wont work there 😊😊

[@Patrickbatemanharvard]

​@@bhanksshuggy5158Dundee too

[@Carmeeenxo]

I’m New Zealander and I understand everything he said.

[@arishahoney8210]

Ahahaha😅 whaat

[@waldemarmoskalecki7891]

are you married? I feel I need to ask this question

[@marshmello4310]

I’m an American and I can understand the New Zealand English accent a lot better than the Scottish English accent

[@chrisdawson1776]

@@waldemarmoskalecki7891 down bad

[@svanimation8969]

Probably some Scottish jeans ✋🏻🙄 You carrying miss

[@PlanesTrainsEverything]

The problem with some Westminster politicians is that they don't hear Scottish accents too often. Here in Scotland we hear English accents daily and so can generally comprehend what is being said. I think the minister in question has had quite a sheltered life when it comes to life outside of New Zealand, or the leafy southeast of England. It helps highlight the difference between those south of the Watford Gap and those to the north.

[@FullNietzsche]

Before having a go at the older bloke, remember he isn't going to hear it as clearly as we do because we're getting the audio directly from the Scotsman's mic and the Kiwi bloke is not. Also if you aren't already, you'll get older one day and your hearing will deteriorate, it happens to us all.

[@wilsonfisk6626]

It's not his accent, he just speaks quickly

[@herreach6955]

He speak in Glaswegian accent, when they speak slow, you can understand every words they said

[@goyonman9655]

Combination

[@BattleFace98]

It’s like they’re constantly speaking Eminem

[@wilsonfisk6626]

@@BattleFace98 good comparison

[@beerzo]

Glaswegian here, we do speak really fast.

[@BNTmodels]

I'm Dutch and I could clearly understand him! I too would like to know why their coffee machine has been broken for 2 weeks now.

[@essemmetv]

LOL!!!

[@Leslie_the_Great]

🤣

[@matthewblairrains6032]

A lot of people seem to be missing the fact that the video gets its audio from microphones which are right next to the MP speaking whereas the other MP does not have the benefit of listening to clear audio

[@edithbannerman4]

@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?

[@folgore1]

That might explain the problem. If that's the case, the Brit might not have heard him clearly enough. Then that means they need to improve the sound system so all the parliamentarians can hear each other more clearly.

[@eff9266]

I just read it with his tempo and accent stuck in my head so i didn't understand a word. could you repeat that please

[@acde9355]

@@folgore1It proves that these politicians are playing a show because they don’t even have to listen and understand what others say 😂

[@AustinMello]

This helps. As an American, I find them both perfectly understandable and the video is sort of baffling.

[@anglophils645]

I think that his Scottish accent is beautiful. I'm American, and I had no trouble understanding him.

[@collohkiv930]

As a Kenyan I am proud of his excellent mastery of his kisii dialect ,not many people abroad can do that

[@fidtwiskie7851]

Yaa omoisia 😂😂😂

[@ravinraven6913]

eh? Are you saying the Kenyan dialect Kisii, sounds like Scottish accent? Is that swahili?Jambo bwana, habari gani, mzuri sana. Though we don't speak very many languages over here, I am glad we learn a little bit here and there.

[@fidtwiskie7851]

@@ravinraven6913 He was being sarcastic brother.

[@sammusyoki4493]

😂😂😂

[@sarahmulumbi]

unatuhaibisha

[@kowanmcgarry]

I understood everything he said. If you need a translator for a Scottish accent, I can help you. The Scottish man’s words were: “Can I ask the honorable gentlemen what work is being done to make sure this place is more accessible particularly for some of our colleagues who have a disability”. I heard him clear as day. I’m Irish, I also enjoy the Scottish accent, Sean Connery, a fine gentleman and a great Scotsman. A wonderful actor as well.

[@seanscanlon9067]

Some might consider the Sean Connery part as an er, backhanded compliment.

[@tomasbeltran04050]

i'd rather like a translation for the second part of his speech, as the first one was actually quite clear. If it's not too much of an inconvenience

[@kowanmcgarry]

@@seanscanlon9067 Sean Connery is my favorite Scottish actor. My second favorite James Bond.

[@Gumaonetwothree]

Me as a guy from the Netherlands could understand his first question easily as well. The second bit had some parts that were a bit more difficult but I understood his point clearly

[@kowanmcgarry]

@@Gumaonetwothree Get the old men with bad ears out of the courtroom. If they can’t hear, they should not be judges.

[@cfowler7936]

I'm from the far south of England and I understood him clearly. No one has an accent like that here but I still could understand him

[@frankhooper7871]

Born in London, grew up in California, lived in Suffolk for almost 50 years now - no problem understanding him at all.

[@hannahdyson7129]

It was just an excuse not to give him an answer .. I thought this was clear ?

[@wolfzmusic9706]

Well you hear Scottish accents on the news and in media etc

[@EH-vzzy]

@@hannahdyson7129 I think you're right, it's a prevarication technique, avoiding the question. :c As a politician he should be able to understand people clearly

[@noone-tq7cs]

Same here, from Dover, I could understand him quite clearly

[@1ab1]

Here is my effort: Can I ask the Honourable Gentleman what work is being done to make sure that this place is more accessible, particularly for some of our colleagues who have a disability? Hear, hear. I'm sorry, it must be something to do with my Antipodean background, could he please repeat the question because I didn't follow it. Well, very popular today. I'm saying that a number of Parliamentary colleagues who have disabilities do find it quite difficult getting around certain parts of the state. Given that we're doing this refurbishment work, what can be done to make sure that those with a disability are able to move around more freely and that the place is accessible? I'm really sorry. Please could he do it very slowly in Antipodean English? I think the answer might be helped if you can reply in writing, when you'll read. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I'll try it on the first go. Oh no, I'm Welsh! Can I, because I'm Welsh, so God help him.

[@laughingvampire7555]

I'm Mexican and after listening to the video a thousand times I could finally understand he was asking about breakfast

[@laimejannister5627]

I was so scared that you were gonna say “asking about gardening” but thank god you didn’t.

[@gk505]

lol

[@isaacmyhrum1735]

"The right honorable gentleman requests desayuno?" jaja

[@toosense]

He wants a taco.

[@Hun_Uinaq]

Scotch eggs with beans on toast.

[@D71219ONE]

As a proud Martian, I’m just shocked that he speaks my region’s dialect with such fluency.

[@cosmic_cosmos1]

Greetings 🖖

[@user-bj2lu9qt3o]

Ha.😄

[@ronberi7773]

hahahahhha lol

[@helenohara7683]

So you're a weegie like me? Noice

[@AmaraEmme]

You win

[@retrosai]

"Can I ask the honorable gentlemen, what work is being done to make sure this place is more accessible, particularly for some of the colleagues who have a disability?" As a non-native english speaker in India, I can say he was clear enough to be understood.

[@hoseinamirkahrizi4988]

...being done to make sure this place is more accessible...

[@retrosai]

@@hoseinamirkahrizi4988 Yep.

[@kiwitrainguy]

I had to come to the comments section to be able to understand what he said. Young people talk too fast these days.

[@no.6377]

As a native English speaker, thanks for translating cuz I really didn't understand most of it. 😂

[@guydreamr]

Stands to reason - everyone knows Hindi and Scotch are in the same language family.

[@valk2768]

As a notherner I could understand both of the times he asked his question

[@flyxtop]

Hi, could you please fix my understanding? you can copy and fix only those places I missed. Thank you. A Korean studyng English here. : can I ask all the gentlemen what have been done to make sure all this places more accessible but I'd like to question ?? a colleage who has a disability. I'm sorry it must be something to do with my antipathy in the background, but coul d you repeat the question, I couldn't follow it. well, ?? I've seen that a number of parliamenary colleagues who have disability do find it quite difficult to get their own seats or parts?? these days , but gentlemen??, doing this accomplishment what could be done to make sure that those with disabiiity are better able to move freely and ?? accessible?

[@valk2768]

@@flyxtop no prob bob, First time he speaks “can l ask all the gentlemen what have been done to make sure all this places more accessible but I'd like to question a colleage who has a disability.” Second time he speaks “Oh well Iam very popular today, I've seen that a number of parliamenary colleagues who have disability do find it quite difficult to get their certain parts ding this refurbishment work what can be done to make sure that those with disabiiity are better able to move freely and the place is accessible?”

[@kooltutski134]

they say the finnish language is one of the most difficult to learn.. that being said, as a finn i'm very proud and humbled that this scottish dude speaks it fluently!

[@t.castro4493]

The way he speaks does remind me of the rhythm/patterns of Finnish (I'm neither a Scot or Finn, however).

[@truthseek4107]

Scots language has Nordic links amsure

[@niconiconick]

@Bobb Grimley clearly the joke flew over your head

[@niconiconick]

@Bobb Grimley I don't know what your problem is but I'm guessing its hard to spell it.

[@twiddlerat9920]

@@truthseek4107 No, Scots is of West Germanic origin, same line of ancestry as English. However, I do believe a few hundred years ago people in the northern islands of scotland did speak something similar to norse

[@kingpin6989]

I understood him, it was a bit difficult but I got the jist of his question.

[@richardmanzo6886]

All any MP really needed to hear was “disability” and “accessible” and should then be able to respond accordingly.

[@4TheRecord]

@@richardmanzo6886 Disability, accessible? Now answer my question.

[@FS-me8mj]

@@4TheRecord surprisingly I understand your question

[@morris4490]

Can I ask you all gentlemen what work is being done to make sure this place more accessible partly for some of our colleagues who have a disability?

[@NAME-yg8sl]

What wack is being for colleagues that have a disability. That's what I heard.

[@melvinhenderson3465]

I’m northern Irish, I can understand easily, I need to do this for Canadians in Canada. I think it’s funny on the second go around he didn’t make any change to the accent or speed. 😂

[@crunchyoats1862]

In Canada we do this helpful thing where if someone didn't understand us we just repeat ourselves and speak louder and louder until the other person nods

[@twilightravens9798]

It seemed like he just went faster the second time

[@Winterhe4rt]

Nah second time was a bit clearer. I still didnt undertand the question properly but I could make out more words during the second going haha

[@beetdiggingcougar]

When I visited Belfast my brain was on a 5 second delay as it processed what people were saying. Hard to believe we are all speaking English. Haha.

[@welshgit]

The second time he was less clear than the first!

[@chetiz1807]

As a member of the Chinese Community, I appreciate his depth of Chinese philosophy as he quoted a passage from Lao Tsu.

[@24goingon40]

It’s weird how it was easier to understand him the first time than when he was asked to repeat it

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

David: talks fast Paul: I’m having trouble understanding you could you repeat? David: *says it the exact same way* The four horsemen of fast talkers: Glaswegians, Hispanics, Japanese, Francophones

[@Prodigal971]

U haven’t heard South Indians mate

[@purplepineapple8863]

we had exchange students in our school and one of them literally dropped a class because the teacher was glaswegian and she couldn't understand him

[@hughmungus99]

Lmao francophones is very true. At some point the words they just combine together and it's nearly only the vowels that you hear when you speak really fast.

[@Magicalnora]

😂😂 you can add Somali too

[@WeighedWilson]

I have a Philippino buddy who speaks about a nose slower than light speed.

[@opdjasin]

I'm from South East Asia but I studied in the UK for a while. The same thing happened to me on the very first day in class. A Scottish guy asked me a question three times because I couldn't understand what he said with his thick accent. I was so emberassed because it was a group meeting (he's the group leader) and there were like 10 people who saw it happened.

[@williamthebonquerer9181]

An Indian owned fish and chips was opened near where I live in the uk and I struggled to understand their accents cus they moved here from Liverpool

[@Docsammy]

There was nothing for you to be ashamed off. People with different accent should speak slowly. Same is true when we south east Asians speak English to the natives. It's sometimes hard for them to understand

[@clasencoach]

Years ago I was in a pub in Belfast. It did take me a few Guinnesses to understand the local dialect.

[@p_HoE_niX]

​@@OfficialBruceLeeDumbF, India is in South Asia, not South east asia.

[@p_HoE_niX]

@@OfficialBruceLee Maybe you're looking for your long lost father, but sadly I'm not the guy you're looking for, keep trying maybe one day you will find him.

[@adamowen6226]

The arrogant English mp understood the question very well.

[@gibbings5534]

As a scottish person i can confirm i can actually speak polish, french, japaneese, greek and swedish all at once

[@mairepres]

❤👏🏻

[@Caitness1]

😂🤣

[@PemikBlue]

Oh really, you speak Greek? Χαίρομαι γι'αυτό φίλε μου, θα ήθελα να μιλήσουμε ελληνικά παρέα 😊

[@anonymousAJ]

But not English thank the Queen

[@stevegabbert9626]

God bless him for taking it so well.

[@rybo0072]

I remember once going to the pub in Birmingham and there was 3 Scottish men in there having a good night playing pool and one of them started talking to me and I really couldn't understand his thick accent so I panicked and just kept saying yes to him and whatever I agreed to he gave me the biggest death stare I'd ever seen in my life 😂

[@Tomtomtomahawk]

Even Londoners who speak fast or mumble a bit can be very hard to understand

[@lena4592]

Yep. Some thing happened to me in a pub in Aus. I'm a Kiwi too. A Scottish guy said a sentence to me and I didn't understand a single word. It's odd, as lot of New Zealand's early migrants were Scottish; Dunedin & Invercargill are cities in New Zealand. However I find Scottish English harder to understand than say Indian English or Singapore English.

[@mjkrbjcw]

I’m from Birmingham and when I was a around 10 in holiday I met a kid from Glasgow & he asked if I wanted to meet his meeva & Feeva … I didn’t have a clue what he was saying but he took me to his mom & dad & ask me to speak to them because my accent was so funny to him , even at that young age I understood the irony 😂😂

[@trueaussie9230]

@@mjkrbjcw Just wondering, why does a (loud and) 'PROUD_BRIT' "from Birmingham" use US spelling - 'mom'? Is that Birmingham, Alabammy?! Or are you ashamed of your own culture and heritage? Resist US cultural colonisation.

[@BestMods168]

If he gave you the death stare then if meant harm from the beginning. Bad people.

[@Squinkamel]

Love love love to the Scottish people from Italy. I ve visited all european countries and you're the best. Never felt so welcomed as in Alba

[@mdood9299]

As an American, I find his accent thick but his speech speed and rhythm is what really gets me. I've heard far worse!

[@allergictohumansnotanimals5671]

He’s American too. That’s the American accent.

[@Dripularstein]

@@allergictohumansnotanimals5671 ?? It's Scottish not American?

[@LukjanovArt]

@@allergictohumansnotanimals5671 Clearly Japanese.

[@allergictohumansnotanimals5671]

@@Dripularstein oh my?! What gave it away??????

[@barte6128]

@@Dripularstein I believe it was a joke, but it seems not a lot of people got it

[@faisalakhtar3394]

I managed to understand most of it. He said that there are a number of parliament colleagues who have difficulties moving around so he asked what can they do to make areas more accessible to people especially those with a disability. To be honest, he only spoke two sentences and the last line alone can tell you what he is trying to say. He can tell him what he understood from his speech and go on from there.

[@SunSeeker-yv7tu]

By god, my son i named after you. His name also akhtar faisal. Weird. 😂😂😂.. I cant even understand what he said. Way too fast, way too tick. Very difficult for foreigner as me. Heloo there akhtar, im from indonesia.

[@josephgarceau6753]

I am an American and I am proud to have understood 40% of what he said

[@canucksfan7332]

Preety good for an American. You should be proud of yourself… 🥴

[@szvqorwnpstahskypfwmp9821]

That's a lot of dumb Americans. I am truly impressed man!!

[@liberalbias4462]

​@@LeeGeewe only good at a few things.

[@cuteboy1-h9n]

hhhhhhhhhhh can you imagine you are american but you understood 40% even me i live in nova scotia ,scotish english so stressfull

[@franzbartolome6201]

I understood him completely clear. I lived halfway across the world (Philippines) with zero connection or exposure or to Scottish accent. Can someone tell me why.

[@bingsoo9559]

Even my familiarity with Irish people and their accents did not spare me from scratching my head at what the good Scot was saying

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

The irony is the question is about disabilities. And here he is not being able to decipher what was said because of his hearing. Also more places like the House of Commons should be more accessible. Now with more people knowing about the Paralympics, the WeThe15 movement and what those with disabilities have to deal with and overcome, the problems in order to bridge the gap to a more equal world are highlighted

[@Skumtomten1]

I love the irony in Kim Jong-un talking about an equal world.

[@LukjanovArt]

Are you fr? He has a thick accent and the dude who never understood him wasn't even English... so white people can't make mistakes now.

[@iberlo85]

How is it irony? He couldnt make up what he was saying how has that something to do with his hearing?

[@themermaidstale5008]

What can be done to make sure those with disabilities can move around more freely?

[@ehmzed]

Now that I've listened to it again, I actually understand every word the first time he speaks, but the second time there are words that are just mumbling, to my ears. That was supposed to be the clearer repetition though! 😂

[@aclark903]

If you put the automated subtitles on they make rather a hash of it.

[@s3ra9h1m]

He understands him perfectly 😒

[@Ginea25]

"I'm Welsh, so God help him" 😆😆😆😆😆

[@brooklynnchick]

I am from the US, we long for such civility between those in power. The gentlemen in question, and their helpful colleagues, are to be commended for their tenaciously courteous manner and problem solving!

[@toottoot3410]

Big words. How is this tenacious?

[@GiantJanus]

@@toottoot3410 By holding firm to their belief of being courteous to others?

[@toottoot3410]

@@GiantJanus ...Being curteous to someone isn't something you'd have to...grip on to? It might be that in the United States of America politeness is far from the norm. Maybe that's why you think this is tenacious!

[@dalujo]

English politics is just show, there is no actual civility.

[@luminousfractal420]

Are you joey?

[@aaronlopez492]

"Do you understand the words comming out of my mouth?". "NO! Just send me an Email"😅

[@AsianHijabi0216]

We missed to acknowledge that the other guy is older and may have a hearing issue. There's nothing wrong though on the MP's accent.

[@shaimetovamir]

I am from Kazakhstan, and the only place I could ever face some Scottish accent was a movie or a book, and in spite of such unpreparedness, I could clearly understand his point. Not a single word had slipped my mind during listening to his appeal

[@aidanhancock2117]

Curious how a accent happens in a book...

[@chibs1963]

@@aidanhancock2117Have ye no read any Rabbie Burns?

[@user-s0m30n3]

@@aidanhancock2117spelling and grammar can indicate an accent. This isn’t hard to figure out

[@katharinapeters6710]

@@aidanhancock2117 maybe you should read one lol

[@aidanhancock2117]

@@user-s0m30n3 good point. I was tired lol

[@alxrnexlj]

I’m Singaporean and I’m genuinely impressed by his ability to speak such fluent Singaporean Chinese. It’s hard to master the little quirks in Chinese, but this guy does it flawlessly.

[@alxrnexlj]

on a more serious note, I’m appalled by how an english person cannot understand his scottish accent - i can understand it very clearly, and I don’t consider english to be my native language.

[@takeshisatou2371]

@@alxrnexlj thats not how singaporean sound like.

[@alxrnexlj]

@@takeshisatou2371 ah yes, i forgot. Singlish is our official language obviously, how could I forget? it’s my native language

[@alxrnexlj]

@Jack Smith who tf actually says mandarin

[@alxrnexlj]

@Jack Smith it may be mandarin but no one i know actually says mandarin. we just say chinese. you know, cause we speak it

[@staceyshere]

I’m American and shockingly understood him. I’m honestly surprised he didn’t understand him.

[@stevefox6536]

The accent for me wasn't a problem, the speed

[@guilhermeteixeira7095]

He was probably way too nervous and pressured by the people around him and so he couldn't understand... that's my guess at least.

[@drunkengamer1977]

Oh he understood him the first time, he understood it all. That's just him attempting to belittle a Scottish minister it's the old guard establishment at work. The UK isn't as United a Kingdom as they portray this is the reality of it.

[@vinnie9458]

He just speaks super fast you gotta focus I couldn’t understand parts when he repeated though no matter how hard I tried lol

[@SunnyWu]

I came to the US at a very young age. I had to play back several times to understand... Also I was exposed to British English as a child in China and usually drift in and out of the 2 accents when I talk. I wasn't too surprised.

[@ageofechochambers9469]

I am from the middle east and i understand what he said , the english guy is why its fragmented.

[@Pauloishereblog]

I'm Astec and sometimes I go years without hearing familiar sounds so obviously I was over the moon to see another Astec speaking our beautiful language so clearly!

[@alexwilliams5799]

It's spelled Aztec and that language is dead....

[@ycylchgames]

@@alexwilliams5799 No it isnt, the language of the Aztec people, Nahuatl, still has 1.7 million speakers in Mexico.

[@alexwilliams5799]

@@ycylchgames you're defending a liar who can't even spell Aztec

[@alexwilliams5799]

@@ycylchgames and there are 867 million people who still speak Latin but it is considered a dead language

[@ugh9176]

@@alexwilliams5799 the joke clearly went right over your head

[@lakhbawa]

Finally i can understand his accent and speed after hearing 15 times

[@Jayce_Alexander]

I understood this just fine. But having worked in Scotland, while I was working there I found myself having to ask people to repeat themselves or speak more slowly pretty frequently. I do like the accent a lot, I just get lost so easily. That being said, as long as you stay polite, in my experience Scottish people are super cool about it. They may give you a giggle but that's it. 😁

[@kelly-jz1jv]

Scottish accent sounds manly

[@aSome1]

I'm from Brazil, I've never been to Scotland (only England) and I could understand up to 70% of what he said - it's clear his question regards accessibility at the house of parliament for handicapped MPs (wheelchair users, blind, deaf, etc.)

[@taylorwickham]

I'm not even from the Isles, and I can understand the Scottish gentleman better than the Englishman can.

[@jscottmedia7558]

we can hear him well because there are microphones hanging around the room picking up all sound. but it may be a very different case in person based on the acoustics of the room.

[@flamewave000]

Had a Scottish friend who would visit Ontario Canada in the summer months. We went to Tim Hortons one day and he asked me to come with him to the cashier because he said they never get his order correct because of his accent. So we walked up and he asked "could I get a can of pepsi", the cashier looked a bit confused but walked away to fetch the order. She then returns with a little paper cup of ketchup... He just looked at me with the most exasperated stare and waved his hand to me as to say "told you so, please assist" haha. I then told the young lady what he actually asked for and the poor girl went red with embarrassment and fetched the can of pepsi for him. Hands down funniest moment I ever had with him.

[@seanhartnett79]

Lol

[@Tuilelen]

At that point I'd suggest to your friend to maybe try just saying the items and shortening the amount of words that need to be parsed. E.g. "Pepsi please"

[@annesimon537]

Well, it seems that nowadays, at Tim Hortons in my rural New-Brunswick, Canada village, they can't understand English nor French.

[@Adrian_Estando]

Brilliant!! That’s the kind of Scottish accent I wish I could imitate! 😂

[@_Dwarkin]

Yeah, and Irish

[@annamarielewis7078]

I’m AMERICAN and I understand him perfectly.

[@garrybaldy327]

"Weth all thes refoorbashmant weks goan awwn, a waz wandereng wet theh onaraabull gentleman thenx should beh daan teh hehlp payple weth desabilitez?" ....Now, who can't understand that??

[@ingridwicklung8939]

@Zachary Johns r/whoosh

[@alwinvillero4404]

@Zachary Johns lmfao

[@nkelherik]

Well judging your username you couldn’t understand him because you’re essentially a biscuit

[@morris4490]

SWOOSH! 😂

[@morris4490]

@Zachary Johns Honestly you are partially right 😁

[@WamuyuGatheru]

I understood him and I'm Kenyan. Maybe someone needs hearing aids

[@lovepeace4130]

Lol you didn't !

[@TheAuldBob]

I wonder if the person with problems understanding a Scot speaking English can understand people from, for example, the English west country or those from Newcastle? Now I am a Scot brought up on a Scottish farm which did not even have electricity. So no, "Wireless", and TV was not then broadcast in Scotland. I never heard English spoked until I went to the nearest village school. My point is that on leaving school I worked for the predominantly English speaking MOD, (Admiralty), for 50 years. I never had the slightest problem making myself understood anywhere in the British Isles nor in the then many Royal Naval overseas bases. Mind you I did experience claimed language difficulties in London when tendering a Scottish bank note the retailer claimed not to recognise as Pounds Sterling and who attempted to offer less than face value for my Scottish pounds Sterling. Strangely enough they always suddenly recognized the Scottish banknote's face value when their Scots customer decided to walk away without the purchase. Perhaps the not understanding MP suffers from the same form of deafness as some London retailers?

[@kpax45]

I didn't . I am Canadian

[@Roastpeef]

Lol what's up with you

[@FS-me8mj]

I can say that I clearly understood it.

[@lyndawilliams4570]

How ridiculous - I understand him just fine and I’m American. They are just being stupid

[@MichaelLauzon1976]

I have absolutely no problem understanding him.

[@philipppaasch8929]

Klar 555 😅 proof?^

[@lordjael]

…because I’m Welsh, so God help him. 😂

[@ovalleviolin]

He said “I’ve gotta help him”

[@JesusNoGA]

@@ovalleviolin He did not.

[@SwaggerChiick1]

From the Caribbean and I understood him perfectly. Clicked on the video expecting to not be able to understand, but it was quite clear and easy to understand.

[@randomoneforstuff3696]

It's quite fascinating that when learning a language, one is generally exposed to a variety of that language's accents, and because of that, they can understand any accent's facets just as well as those of another accent. However, to a native SSBE (RP) speaker (as this British parliamentarian seems to be), the MP's heavy Scottish accent perhaps sounds foreign--either that or he didn't want to answer the question. Similarly, as a native North American English speaker, I find that certain British accents sound very different from the language that I hear on a daily basis in the southwest US. However, when I listen to people speak Spanish, my second language, no matter what country they come from, I can usually understand them well, as when learning Spanish, I was exposed to all kinds of accents throughout Central, South America, and Spain; while most of the time I can identify where a speaker is from, their accent isn't ever necessarily harder to understand than any other (i.e., if someone uses the 'th' sound for 'c's and 'z's, I'll know they're from Spain, but I don't find it any harder to understand that pronunciation than if they were to use the more standard 's' sound).

[@psychologicalFudge]

Some words were understandable... until he started speaking at 200wpm

[@MrSouthernguy08]

Geez, Louise...I'm an American and I UNDERSTOOD the Scottish man.

[@ferriswill4929]

He was takin’ the piss surely by the second time lol

[@Linkous12]

Funny, I'm from the southern US and I can understand him clearly. Speaks a little too quickly, perhaps.

[@holliswilliams8426]

I think the other MP in fact does understand him but is pretending not to so he can avoid answering the question or to buy for more time as he doesn't have a good answer.

[@catsberry4858]

@@holliswilliams8426 what exactly woukd make one think this just by this clip alone? Why not take the man at his word?