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
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398 Responses to “He thinks feminists are ‘obnoxious bigots’: meet the new justice minister”
Rex Duis
That’s not true. Women shame men just as frequently as other men do.
Calling a man feminine is not an insult to women. It’s not intended as such. But it could be portrayed that way by those with a vested interest in continuing to appear marginalised. There’s money and resources to be rewarded with as a perpetual victim.
John Gormley Spokesman MHRI
Debbie Jackson, I thought “anyone can be feminist”?
Obviously not according to you.
“To be feminist is to desire true equality.”….Just have a read of the biggest feminist organisation in the world’s view of shared parenting (NOW) for real feminism.
Feminism is a toxic evil ideology!
John Gormley Spokesman MHRI
I keep hearing how feminism is good for men.
So this should be easy to prove!
There are thousands if not millions of feminist websites saying good things about girls, women and femininity.
So it should be easy to find a feminist website that says something good about boys, men or masculinity.
Otherwise it is just another toxic evil ideology!
Bryan Scandrett
We don’t want masculinism, or feminism in reverse, we want justice, social egalitarianism. We are different. Each gender needs to get away from gynocentrism, not towards phallocentrism but to a new deal that has compassion for both male and female and children primarily. So please stop poisoning the well with crazy. Nobody is anybody else’s property.
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Yes. Funny how a guy working on curing disease can say something harmless (and largely true) and be hounded out of work, but Bahar Mustafa is still in her job.