Conservative MPs row over ‘male privilege’ comments

Conservative chairman Oliver Dowden has said the phrase “male privilege” is a “crass” and simplistic” term.

Speaking to Times Radio on Sunday morning, ahead of the annual Conservative conference in Manchester, he said: “I think it’s a bit too simplistic to simply talk in terms of male privilege,” explaining: “I don’t think, for example, if you’re an unemployed man on a council estate outside Newcastle you’re going to feel particularly privileged.

“So I think that’s a bit of a crass term.

“However, historically, it has been the case that men have had more opportunities than women and society has rightly addressed that.”

Caroline Nokes, chair of the House of Commons women and equalities committee, hit back at Dowden’s comments via Twitter:

Any woman who has worked a single day in House of Commons, in ANY role, knows male privilege exists, ask the women in the press gallery

— Caroline Nokes MP (@carolinenokes) October 3, 2021

Nokes is the daughter of Roy Perry, a former Conservative MEP for the Wight and Hampshire South constituency. After graduating from the University of Sussex in 1994, Nokes became a policy adviser to her father.

Elected as a Conservative in 2010, Nokes had the Conservative whip removed on 3 September 2019. She sat as an independent politician until the whip was restored to her on 29 October.