Regardless of the panto villain
MPs have voted to pass a bill to improve domestic violence support services and provision in the UK.
The bill has now passed its second reading and will be sent to committee for further consideration, before it can receive a third reading by MPs and then become law.
But there was opposition. Yes, really: actual opposition to a bill to improve domestic violence support services.
During the vote in parliament earlier today, anti-feminism MP Philip Davies attempted to block the bill by speaking for over an hour against it. Campaigners said that while he spoke, survivors of domestic violence who were present in the gallery above the chamber, stood up and turned their backs in protest. MP Eilidh Whiteford, who introduced the bill, accused Mr Davies of acting “like a panto villain”.
Well, we’re living in BrexoTrump World now, and acting like a panto villain is the new hip thing to do.
Mr Davies, Conservative MP for Shipley, West Yorkshire, said the bill was too focused on women’s rights and did not do enough to address men’s rights. He said the bill was therefore “sexist” and “discriminatory” against men.
I hope he didn’t forget to say it was politically correct. That would be embarrassing.
Ratifying the Convention would mean support for domestic violence victims would be more robust. Survivors of abuse would be legally entitled to specialist support services such as refuges, counselling, and a 24-hour helpline for support. Age-appropriate education would also be implemented in schools to help pupils spot signs of abuse and seek help.
Gender-based violence can include female genital mutilation, forced marriage, and domestic or sexual abuse, as well as physical, emotional or sexual violence or harm.
And it hasn’t gone away yet.
He’s from Yorkshire? Come on, we’re better than this. (Though one of the most outspoken misogynists I’ve ever met at work was from Halifax.)
While he’s an MP for a Yorkshire town that doesn’t mean he’s from Yorkshire. But then, I’m sure you know the old rhyme, guest:
Yorkshire born and Yorkshire bred,
Strong in arm
And thick in head.
(humour)
Hm, I’ve only ever heard that about southwesterners of various origins… :)
My personal favourite:
‘Ear all, see all, say nowt;
Eyt all, sup all, pay nowt;
And if ivver tha does owt fer nowt –
Allus do it fer thissen
I actually once attended a professional lecture in Sheffield where the guest speaker was ceremoniously handed a penny at the end of his talk, since one should never ask a Yorkshireman to do owt for nowt.
Shipley isn’t too far from where my family first shows up in the records (Idle, 1791).
He’s a curious fellow: there’s no cause so ignoble that he won’t put his weight behind it… http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/philip-davies-filibuster-domestic-violence-a7479266.html
If anyone needs a translation of #3, I can provide one for a small fee. What? I’m not going to do it for free – I’m from Yorkshire.
On topic: Philip Davies needs to do one. Fast.
Phillip Davies (not my MP but the next one on) I’ve commented on him before. I won’t repeat myself but a quick read of wikipedia ( or my local paper) will give you an idea of what a petty minded bully he is,the bastard child of Trump, Farage and any random MRA troll (I could name more people or types). Oh and he’s just been elected onto the Parliament’s Women and equalities committee.
What does it say that, when I saw this headline, I gave it even odds that the protestors would be (a certain kind of) trans activists?
^6
When I was growing up (in Toronto), a Yorkshire map tea towel graced the wall of our kitchen. That poem was printed in one corner, and at some point my mother translated it for me (their accents were never quite that thick, that I recall).
Steve – I hope you were also taught “On Ilkley moor baht ‘at”.
Acolyte, Guest: I’M STANDING RIGHT HERE.
Steve Watson: my parents had that exact tea towel, also on the wall for some reason. Which didn’t mean it wasn’t sometimes taken down and used as an actual tea towel. They are Yorkshire folk, after all.
Davies is indeed a Yorkshireman, having been born in Doncaster. It’s not *proper* Yorkshire, though. Not the One True Yorkshire that is North Yorkshire, to which all other Yorkshires are subordinate.
He really is a piece of work. I read about this filibuster yesterday and only later started connecting the dots. Wasn’t he the one who? And didn’t he say? And he did, yes. If you’re thinking of something horrible a politician has said or done in recent years, there’s a good chance it was Davies.
He is – really – the parliamentary spokesman for the Campaign Against Political Correctness which – thankfully – isn’t even really a thing but which he seems to take oddly seriously. He has been known to ask questions like why blackface is so offensive and why it’s wrong for police – sorry, policeMEN, he doesn’t seem to cope well with the idea that police officers might not be men – to refer to BMW cars as Black Man’s Wheels.
He’s against sex education in schools. He’s the MP who gave a speech at the awful Justice For Men and Boys event, an organisation which awards “lying feminist of the month”, “toxic feminist of the month” and “whiny feminist of the month” ‘awards’ and has this delightful article by Janet Bloomfied (AKA JudgyBitch, AKA various other things) on 13 reasons women lie about being raped linked on its website: https://j4mb.wordpress.com/2015/05/12/13-reasons-women-lie-about-being-raped-janet-bloomfield/
The site calls the article “insightful”. I wouldn’t read it, if I were you. My eyes can’t unsee it but you can escape. In case you haven’t come across her before, she also notably wrote an article called “Why Don’t We Have a Dumb Fucking Whore Registry? Now That Would Be Justice.” and many, many other terrible things. Single mothers are mentally ill child abusers, for example. She spoke at the same ‘conference’ as Davies.
Davies serves on the Women and Equalities Select Committee because of course he does. He’s against disabled workers and minimum wage. He’s against bills to combat global poverty. He’s against health warnings on cigarettes. The list goes on.
I accused him of being a panto villain too, yesterday, on Twitter. I’m glad Eilidh Whiteford agrees. That is really very much what he’s like.
For the record, Tiko, I accused him of being the offspring of Trump and Farage, too. Great minds….
Oh, he’s a veteran filibusterer, by the way. Here are some of the bills he’s effectively blocked:
1. Free hospital parking for carers
2. Landlords should make their properties fit for human habitation
3. Children should be taught first aid in schools
4. The elephants. Oh yes, the elephants. He blocked a debate about the exploitation of wild animals in circuses.
5. Private sector takeovers of the NHS. A bill was again’ it, Davies was fer. So he filibustered. On this occasion for four and a half hours.
A charming gent.