We seem to spend a lot of time arguing gender politics. Not me, specifically, because I’m a radical post-feminist, egalitarian right down to my nob and yet would always give up my seat on the tube for a lady. If she was good looking enough. But its not about me.

Theresa May has filled her ‘cabinet’ with women ‘and minorities’ to give a ‘true reflection of British society’. I don’t know the ladies concerned, they’ve all arrived straight out of ‘left field’, but it almost seems like some kind of reverse discrimination in which its not ‘the best person for the job’ but the ‘the best woman for the job’. She also managed to lose Justine Greening and instead of sacking health secretary Jeremy Hunt, managed to promote him and increase his remit. Now that is good management. (Theresa May is a woman).

Carrie Gracie was the BBC’s China editor, for many years, but has now resigned because of pay differentials at the Beeb betwixt men and women. And she has a point. She earns £125k a year and has to live in China and speak Chinese. I couldn’t speak it for a Bitcoin. For 10 million. But I’m a man so I probably wouldn’t have to; they’d get an interpreter. And pay me more. Jeremy Bowen, the middle-east editor earns about 50k a year more than Carrie. And Jon Sopel, the American editor, earns double what she does. And gets to live his life in English. If you call that ‘English’.

Meanwhile, Catherine Deneuve, (one-time) stunning French actress, has spoken out against the ‘me too’, or ‘moi aussi’ brigade stating that a ‘bumbled pick up attempt’ is not a crime, nor abuse. I’m not fully familiar with French seduction techniques (though I’m guessing that ‘anything will do’) but getting an 18 year old girl into a hotel room and parading around with your dick out demanding massages on the threat of never working in this town again, can’t really be misconstrued as a ‘failed chat-up line’. Its not specifically the actions that are wrong but the implied threat from someone in obvious power. Other than for the French, for whom its just ‘plus ca change’. (Note to self: should visit France more often).

And Virgin Trains have banned the sale of the Daily Mail on their vehicles. On the grounds that ‘its shit, innit’. And it is shit. Reactionary, right-wing, pro-Brexit, anti-virtually everybody who isn’t royalty or can trace their lineage back at least 9 generations, and rubbish. But people like it. They feel comforted that newspapers agree with their racist, homophobic, misogynistic views. But they won’t be able to buy it on Virgin. Which is the worst form of censorship ever. Its not the train company’s business to decide what folk should read. Getting on a train is not joining a specific political class. Or getting a better education. Shame on you, Branson.

Happy Wednesday

A xxxx