Tory MP hit by a sexism storm af ter speech to anti-feminists
A TORY MP was labelled a sexist yesterday after he told an anti-feminist rally that women wanted to ‘have their cake and eat it’.
Philip Davies said politically correct men were pandering to ‘militant feminists’ and ‘zealots’ and criticised the drive for ‘so-called equality’.
Davies made the comments in a speech at an event for Justice for Men and Boys (J4MB), an anti-feminist political party.
The MP for Shipley said while there are campaigns to increase the number of women on company boards and in Parliament, there has been a ‘deafening silence’ when it comes to increasing the number of men who have custody of their children or have careers as midwives.
The 44-year-old divorcee added: ‘In this day and age the feminist zealots really do want women to have their cake and eat it.
‘They fight for their version of equality on all the things that suit women, but are very quick to point out that women need special protections and treatment on other things.’
J4MB issues awards for ‘lying feminist of the month’ and ‘whiny feminist of the month’, and its website published an article titled ‘13 reasons women lie about being raped’.
Its 2015 election manifesto suggested men should receive their pension before women because they work harder and die younger. It has also argued the Government should scrap schemes which attempt to increase the proportion of girls and young women studying sci- ence, technology, engineering and maths. Its founder, Mike Buchanan, has launched an Anti-Feminism League and a group which fights boardroom gender diversity initiatives.
In a 45-minute speech posted online, Mr Davies, a member of the Commons Justice Select Committee, denied that there was ‘an issue between men and women’.
He said: ‘The problem is being stirred up by those who could be described as militant feminists and the politically correct males who pander to this nonsense. This has led to an equality-butonly-when-it-suits agenda.
‘The drive for women to have so-called equality on all the things that suit the politically correct agenda but not other things that don’t is of increasing concern.’
Labour’s shadow women and equalities secretary Angela Rayner said: ‘Theresa May should withdraw the Tory whip. He has open contempt for women. His views are so outdated they are prehistoric.’
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tweeted: ‘Comments made by Philip Davies are deeply sexist and show utter contempt for women. Theresa May should suspend him.’