Sarah Ditum

No, Ben Bradley: we don’t need a minister for men

Ben Bradley (Parliament TV)

Happy International Men’s Day! Sorry I’m late by one day, it’s just that I don’t really know what it’s for. I mean, yes, I’m grateful for its existence on International Women’s Day whenever someone says ‘Ah, but when is International Men’s Day?’, and I can reply: ’19 November’. But even then, it basically spoils a much better answer, which is to say, ‘Every other day of the year is International Men’s Day.’ 

Anyway, it was International Men’s Day, and as usual the vast majority of men did not care. But one man who cared very much indeed was Conservative MP Ben Bradley, who gave a speech in Parliament about how men are neglected in politics. You know, men. The taller kind of human with fewer bumpy bits in front and back. They can be hard to spot in the chamber, I know, because they still make up two-thirds of the MPs elected to represent a population that is, shockingly, 50:50 male:female. Noticing them would be a bit like noticing air, I suppose.

‘If we hold departments across Whitehall to account with people dedicated to ensuring women are considered – quite rightly so – why not the same for men?’ asked Bradley. ‘Why have a minister for women and not for men? Why single out one characteristic for special mention? Can we ensure that equality means just that, rather than positive discrimination at the expense of certain groups? Male as equally protected as female.’ 

Charmingly, even in the currently socially-distance House of Commons, there was one other MP in view of the camera while Bradley delivered this call to arms on behalf of his oppressed sex.

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