David Cameron apologises for ‘sexist’ comments
Summary of story from BBC News, October 2, 2011
The British Prime Minister, David Cameron, has apologised for remarks he made to female MPs during Prime Minister’s Questions which were criticised for being sexist.
Mr Cameron told the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, Angela Eagle, to “calm down, dear” and told Tory MP Nadine Dorries she was “frustrated.”
In an interview with Andrew Marr, the Prime Minister said: “It’s not what I’m like, that’s not who I am.”
At the time, Harriet Harman said his comments reflected a “patronising and outdated attitude to women.”
Mr Cameron said: “This is not an excuse, it’s an explanation, but Prime Minister’s Questions is very aggressive and confrontational. Sometimes it just sounds terrible, so I apologise for that.”
But the Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities, Yvette Cooper, said:
“The prime minister needs to apologise for what he has been doing, not just what he’s been saying.”
“Women are still being hit twice as hard as men, facing record levels of unemployment and major cuts to child care support.”
At least he is being called to account – there was a time when this would have been unthinkable.
Doesn’t matter how many times he apologises for being a sexist prat, DC is still a sexist prat.
Doesn’t matter how many times he apologies for being a sexist prat, DC is still a sexist prat.