Philip Davies originally wanted to be a journalist but decided against it after coming to the conclusion that he lacked the confidence: ‘It was my ambition in life but I just realised I was too shy. You’ve got to have a confidence that I think I probably never had.’ Now an unruly backbencher, it’s hard to believe the MP for Shipley is one to suffer from self-doubt. Westminster’s pantomime villain, Davies has a reputation for championing unfashionable causes – from talking out bills that help the vulnerable to standing up for men’s rights in the face of ‘militant feminists’.
Last month he gave his critics fresh cause for complaint when he was elected – unopposed – to the Women and Equalities select committee. Given that Davies wants the word ‘women’ removed from the name (as it suggests ‘the only issues of any concern are issues relating to women’), his appointment has been met with scepticism, with the Women’s Equality Party branding it a ‘victory for misogyny’.
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