Theresa May, who as well as home secretary is minister for women and equalities, is adept at treading on eggshells
MPs discussed sex discrimination yesterday. As recent events at Sky Sports have demonstrated, this is a tricky topic. Watching anyone address it reminds me of someone walking barefoot across eggshells. Watching MPs doing so is reminiscent of hippos line-dancing on champagne flutes. It has to be done with immense care and the knowledge that one false step could make things go horribly wrong.
Theresa May, who as well as home secretary is minister for women and equalities, is adept at this. For example, John Glen of Salisbury, a Tory, put it to her that women were more likely to get on to the boards of corporations in the United States, where there are very few regulations, than in places such as Scandinavia where there are all sorts of rules about parental leave.
That sounded like a heffalump trap, but Mrs May placed her faux leopardskin shoes deftly on either side. She thanked Mr Glen for pointing out the varied methods used around the world to help women get to the top.
She also pointed out that the government had appointed Lord Davies to see how obstacles to women's progress could be removed.
Labour's Denis MacShane asked her to confirm that "this great panjandrum, Lord Davies, who is going to get more women on to boards, is a man?"
The home secretary wasn't going to be fooled by that cunning poser. Her answer, in its entirety, was: "Yes."
Then Dominic Raab was on his feet. Mr Raab is loathed by almost all the Labour women in the place (and some Tories too) for claiming this week that men were the victims of "flagrant discrimination" in the workplace. They worked longer hours and were in greater danger of losing their jobs. I don't know what ambitions Mr Raab still nurses, but they cannot include becoming a football commentator.
Mrs May replied crisply that the law banned discrimination against men as well as women, adding from her brief: "The answer I have here is 'sex at work', but I think it means on the basis of gender."
A civil servant from the department, assigned to keep an eye on question time, could be seen burying his head in his hands.
Mr Raab asked, mildly enough, if making parental leave transferable would help eliminate anti-male discrimination in the workplace. The home secretary was enthusiastic.
"We should try to get away from gender warfare and the politics of difference," she said, "but I suggest to my hon friend that labelling feminists as 'obnoxious bigots' is not the way forward."
At this the Labour frontbench, all but one of them women, gave a mighty cheer. The sexist pig had been routed by his own side ? and I bet he doesn't understand the offside rule.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/jan/28/sex-work-theresa-may-simon-hoggart
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