David Cameron apologises for 'sexist' remarks

[RowanMumsnet]

Morning all

The Sunday Times is today reporting that David Cameron is apologising for 'using words that could have been interpreted as sexist' in his replies to two women MPs during Prime Minister's Questions; he's also saying that the Conservatives must to more to appeal to women voters.

The full article is here (£), but - at the risk of bringing the wrath of News International on my head [buttock-clench emoticon] here are the most relevant parts:

'David Cameron has issued a heartfelt apology for disrespectful remarks he made to two female MPs and admitted that the Conservative party must do more to appeal to women voters.

The prime minister acknowledged making a 'terrible mistake' in the House of Commons by using words that could have been interpreted as sexist.

In a highly personal interview, he insisted he was not 'one of the lads' and had not meant to cause offence... Cameron acknowledged he had 'screwed up' at prime minister's questions during exchanges with Labour's Angela Eagle, the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, and one of his own backbenchers, Nadine Dorries. He insisted that he had been misunderstood.

'What I find frustrating is that I'm not a sort of 'All right luv, I'm down at the pub tonight' whatever. That's not me. But obviously I've come across in this way,' he said.'

Do let us know what you think.

Thanks
MNHQ

Cameron exposed :

At HazelMcWitch - I do think Cameron is intrinsically, or institutionally, sexist. Look at his CV:

Eton - a gentlemens' school in Berkshire. No women admitted.
Bullingdon Club - a gentlemens' club in Oxford. No women admitted.
Whites - a gentlemens' club in London. No women admitted. Note that CallMeDave gave up his membership in 2008, after the club's sexist stance was highlighted in the press. Only to join.....
The Carlton Club - a private gentlemens' club in London. Women were permitted to become full members only in, coincidently, 2008.
The House Of Commons - a gentlemens' club in London. Women admitted, provided they "Calm down dear".

Superb video, Cate!

MNHQ can whip up as much distaste for and distrust of David Cameron as they like ....the more the bloody merrier

"MNHQ have already said they might be asked for a comment." Methinks MN has an over-inflated sense of its own importance, no doubt encouraged by the media darlings that some people at MNHQ consort with. Dare I say that it's ultimately just a parenting website that is used by a relatively tiny minority of parents?

Flubule, of course MNHQ can be as partisan as they like. But if this is a left-leaning site, it ought to be made explicit (along with the rules that we must abide by in conversation. Such as never, ever admitting to voting Conservative or - faints - reading the DM. These rules may not be set out in the Ts&Cs, but try flouting them if you want to see whether or not they are in effect enforced).

I have no faith in his ability to run anything for very long. I am not sure I ever did. He has no ability to see beyond the M4 corridor.

My main regret is that the Tories have taken down the infamous Webcameron film which shows him trying to be a classroom assistant and failing badly, he is so out of touch with normal people. I emailed them to ask where it was, and they deny its existence.

Will someone oust him, do we think? He's inept.

Evening all,
It's a little ironic to be accused of both working for and against the Tories by starting this thread.

Well it's neither, of course! We just knew this would be big news today and given that we'd had tonnes of discussion on Mumsnet about the original David Cameron comments for which he apologised today, we thought this would be an interesting discussion to highlight.

It's not unusual for us to start and sticky topical discussions - we do it from time to time to garner opinion, if we think we'll be asked to comment on something. Sure enough Sky news did call to ask me to comment, which I did from the garden whilst a pigeon cavorted above my head and the dogs ran about wildly and started jumping around just as we went live. It was not a memorable television performance.

Your interview in the garden sounded like a re run of QT,Justine
The cavorting pigeon..was that the little bald fella?
Did you sit straight?

@crazynanna

Your interview in the garden sounded like a re run of QT,Justine The cavorting pigeon..was that the little bald fella? Did you sit straight?

I was standing .

The original comments were bullying and sexist, showing his true entitled colours.
His non - apology is manipulative and shallow and meaningless.

When someone suddenly finds themselves wracked with remorse for something they were heavily criticised for several months back, you have to question their motives.

I believe you, Justine. I take MNHQ-started threads at face value and I DO find MN a place for garnering political opinion.

And I do like to shove my ha'peth in.

So, thank you for creating a forum where I feel my tiny opinion counts for something.

Nope - couldn't see a pigeon. The girl done good, so calm down dear .

(couldn't resist - mwahahahah)

I found the sky link....Justine's comments' sound fair enough to me.

news.sky.com/home/article/16081284

I don't like politicians that "try to appeal to women voters". I'd rather they just got on with running the country instead of trying to pander to the hard of thinking.

I couldn't care less what he thinks of women as long as he does a good job of running the country.

I think it's fairly pointless asking the question, because the Tory Haters will use anything, no matter how tenuous as proof that he is An Evil Man. The comments he made will be proof, and the denial that he is sexist will be proof, and the apology will be yet more proof.

Well The Guardian agrees

You know what, if you have to explain to people you're not sexist because they think you are based on two obvious comments and a raft of anti-women policies, you're probably a sexist.

The comments in PMQ very obviously betrayed the exact variety of dick he is - the article in the Times showed him making the most annoying kind of non-apology there is: 'I'm very sorry if anything I said could have been interpreted in the wrong way and people got themselves all upset'.

His 'I'm not an 'alright luv' type of man' seems to suggest he thinks he can't be sexist because he's not an old-school working class sexist - he doesn't seem to get that you can claim to chivalrous and be well-heeled and all the rest, and you're still sexist. The 'alright luv I'm off down the pub' just digs him in even deeper.

Wanker.

The thinly veiled insults and banter fly thick and fast in PMQ's. It's fairly pathetic to play the sexist card, either toughen up and be sharp enough to give it back or take it on board.

Equality shouldn't mean kid gloves for women, it means equality.

The 'I'm not racist but...' never fools anyone, why does he think the sexist equivalent would?

I don't think of it in terms of 'playing the sexist card' - just noticing that Cameron has an unpleasantly condescending attitude towards women. Dorries is one of his own, after all - and he just backed out of answering her (admittedly stupid) question by puerile schoolboy sniggering innuendo.

Honestly, MNHQ just can't win!

They judged that they'd be asked for comments - quite rightly as it turned out - and so deliberately started a thread to gauge opinion rather than relying on the arguable bias of those who would have started a thread on this themselves. They put a sticky on it to get the attention of all MNers, giving them a chance to comment.

Now they've been accused of working for the Conservatives, liberal bias and 'an over-inflated sense of its own importance, no doubt encouraged by the media darlings that some people at MNHQ consort with.'

I second lots of the comments on this thread about sexism and misogyny being more than sneering words to women MPs, that it isn't a 'All right luv, I'm down at the pub tonight' working class phenomenom, that tacking on "women's issues" to appeal to women voters is a poor substitute for having all of society integral and essential to the way you develop all your government policies and that I personally just don't like him.

But I also note that his attitude to women is neither uncommon nor limited to the right wing. Labor MPs have been just as dismissive of their female colleagues and the "Blair's Babes" thing when Labour came into power last was horrendous.

So I am heartened that it is important enough for him to bring it up at a party conference. I hope it shows there is pressure coming to bear that will help push all our representatives to treat female MPs as equals, not people you can dismiss and snigger at.

I made that last comment, MNP, and stand by it. I'm sorry that Justine feels got at from both sides of the political divide, though. How on earth anyone can think MNHQ is pro-Tory is a complete mystery to me.

As for the Guardian article... "In the Guardian's September ICM poll, there was a modest Labour lead among men (26% against 24.5% for the Tories) but a much larger one among women (27% to 21%)."

A Guardian poll?! It's hardly likely to turn up many women who support the Coalition, is it?! And they present this as a telling statistic.

FWIW, I am a woman and I do support the Coalition and its policies. I'd rather it were an outright Conservative government, but in the absence of that, I am generally happy with the way they are doing things. I am personally worse off, but aren't people on MN always banging on about how one should suffer personal hardship for the greater good of society/the economy? Obviously that only applies if it's a left-wing kind of personal hardship.

FellatioNelson, I think you are right.

Well I've just speed read the whole thread .

I like David Cameron

I also second what Cogito and Damsel said previously about any pro Dave supporters being intimidated by very vitriolic anti tory ( indeed sometimes often very articulate ) insults.

I agree Fellatio, whatever Cameron says will be attacked and completely savaged by many here on MN, just because ...