Outrage after ‘anti-feminist’ MP Philip Davies tries to blocks bill on female domestic violence

MPS and campaigners have slammed Tory MP Philip Davies for trying to talk out a bill on combating violence against women.

As politicians discussed the bill to call on the Government to ratify the Istanbul Convention, MPs said listening to the Member for Shipley talk for 78 minutes was like "rubbing sandpaper in my eyes".

Conservative MP Mr Davies said he would not support the bill as it did not support tackling violence against men too and it was "sexist against men".

But it passed by 135 - 2 in the Commons, with MPs from all sides choosing to support it. MPs cheered as the bill now passes into its second reading.

Just two MPs chose to vote against it - Conservatives Philip Hollobone and Christopher Chope.

Actress and UN ambassador Emma Watson joined with Jeremy Corbyn and Lib Dem leader Tim Farron to call on Theresa May to ratify the intentional treaty against domestic violence.

It has been four years and six months since the Government said they would, and Shadow Equalities Minister Sarah Champion said it was "dragging its feet".

The anti-feminist MP Mr Davies said: "I oppose this bill because it introduces unnecessarily meddling from super national bodies that we can quite do without and we can do on our own."

"I am against it because we should have a convention that deals with all violence, violence against men and women.

"I of course oppose violence against women, but I also oppose violence against men and boys and having a strategy for one and not the other is just not acceptable to me."

He talked for 78 minutes to try and filibuster the bill by making it run out of time.

Labour's Thangam Debbonaire, who has worked with domestic violence victims in the past, said it was "78 minutes that I am never going to get back."

She hit back at some of his claims: "The majority of victims... the overwhelming victims of sexual assault, rape, chronic ongoing domestic abuse, severe domestic abuse are female," she said.