Dominic Raab is no more keen on the Equality Act than he is on the Human Rights Act
Esher and Walton MP Dominic Raab has just been made justice minister alongside Michael Gove.
Raab is a longtime critic of the Human Rights Act – this appointment looks like David Cameron’s way of saying he is serious about scrapping it. In January 2014 Raab voted to allow human rights grounds to be used to prevent a foreign criminal being deported only in cases where there would be a breach of right to life or the right not to be tortured.
In 2013, he voted to remove the duty on the Commission for Equality and Human Rights to work to support the development of a society in which people’s ability to achieve their potential is not limited by prejudice or discrimination.
And in 2013 he also voted against making it illegal to discriminate on grounds of caste.
Raab also took an unusual stance on gender equality in 2011, when he expressed his fears that ‘from the cradle to the grave, men are getting a raw deal’. He attacked the ‘obnoxious bigotry’ of feminists and complained that men work longer hours than women (no mention of pay gap etc).
“While we have some of the toughest anti-discrimination laws in the world, we are blind to some of the most flagrant discrimination – against men.”
Seeming to have fallen at the first hurdle – assuming that feminism is anti-men – Raab also suggested that men start ‘burning their briefs’, presumably as a long- overdue retaliation against the feminists of the sixties (who did not, in fact, burn their bras.)
Raab’s diatribe continued:
“Britain’s not perfect, and we will never eradicate all human prejudice.”
This is especially true when we do not understand that prejudice. Another interesting choice from David Cameron.
Ruby Stockham is a staff writer at Left Foot Forward. Follow her on Twitter
398 Responses to “He thinks feminists are ‘obnoxious bigots’: meet the new justice minister”
Rex Duis
Bee Sharmine – Let me restate my point since clearly you missed it. I really don’t care about how severely Mutilated a CHILD is. Are you going to comfort boys by telling them that it might have been worse had they been a girl?!
What the hell is wrong with you? Why do we need to differentiate between different levels of pain, disfigurement and psychological trauma? How is that uniting all of us to have compassion for children when you people keep saying ‘Yeah it’s bad, but it’s worse for girls’. Just stop with the bias already.
Mutilating children without painkillers in unneccesary, permanent procedures is an unethical, inhumane act in our society and we ALL should feel the pain of that, we are all the losers in that. Now remind me again how Feminism is about equality for all??
Steven
Feminist laws are one sided and discriminitory. His stand against a group of people who view every woman’s story as vital, but view men as some amorphous evil “class” of people is refreshing and welcome.
Steven
Exactly Rex.
Ever notice when feminists want to humanize and personalize the plight of a victim (but only women) they use heartbreaking anecdotes, but when it’s men we’re all some “class” of evil doers whose personal stories should not be told “because it happens to rarely”.
Rex Duis
Karen, fantastic historical insights there as always. You are completely right about Feminisms convenient editing of history. Cherry picking the bits which support their argument and taking things out of context is the worst kind of crime, because it denies the suffering of entire groups of people in our history. It’s not only intellectually dishonest but it’s also dangerous. Its one of many reasons why I think Feminism is a hate movement and needs it’s prejudice pointed out at every turn.
Steven
NAFALT – Not All Feminists Are Like That …
Right …. so, when some “tiny” group of feminists, who wear the label and go on TV and in print do bad things ….
Gee, and golly, where are all the moderate feminists who stand up and say “not in my name” or “that’s not my feminism – stop it”?
Hmmm?