Political incorrectness gone mad
by Duncan O'Leary
Amongst his list of criticisms of the 'PC Brigade' he writes, 'Giving employment rights to women that aren't given to men encourages employers to discriminate against them'. Which reminded me of David Cameron's comment in an interview at the weekend that, 'The suggestion for the massive extension of paternity leave owes a bit more to political correctness than the realities of life.'
The two positions ' on the same issue ' seem to be entirely different, but both dismiss the alternative as simple 'political correctness'. Should men get the same paternity leave as women or not? Sounds like it's probably worth discussing to me.
So here's a suggestion: the phrase 'that's just political corectness' is increasingly being used to shut down debate. How about a little more old-fashioned honesty, a little less denunciation and a little more open-mindedness - it would go a long way to improving the lot of many of the most vulnerable in Britain.