Outrage at Tory MP Philip Davies’ comments about “feminists zealots” happy with discrimination against men
A TORY MP was slammed last night for claiming the British legal system discriminated against men and favoured women.
Philip Davies spoke at a men’s rights conference organised by the Justice for Men and Boys party (J4MB).
In a 45 minute speech he told a crowd “feminist zealots really do want women to have their cake and eat it”.
Labour’s Shadow Secretary for Women and Equalities, Angela Rayner, said Mr Davies should be suspended from the Tory party pending an investigation and called on Theresa May to take action.
She said: “He has open contempt for women. His views are so out-dated they are prehistoric.
“There is no place for these views in modern Britain. He has a track record for misogyny having consistently voted against legislation that will make our society more gender equal.”
And Lib Dem leader Tim Farron added: “Philip Davies comments are astonishing. The need for feminism is self-evident.
"In the UK, on average two women a week are killed by a violent partner or ex-partner, the gender pay gap in full time work stands at 24% and women are underrepresented in parliament and on FTSE 100 Boards.
“I am proud to call myself a feminist and Philip Davies’ remarks are truly ignorant.”
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The Shipley MP, who sits on the Commons justice committee, appeared at the London conference alongside anti-feminist bloggers who called single mothers “bona fide idiots”, according to the Guardian newspaper.
Mr Davies delivered a speech on “the justice gender gap”, arguing the British justice system favoured women and discriminated against men.
But he said yesterday he didn’t understand what the fuss was about.
He said: “I believe men and women should be treated equally when they go before the courts for the same offence, if that’s a controversial thing to say it’s a pretty sad thing in the country.
“I thought that was what equality was all about.”