Kwarteng’s "bad apples" claim is a rotten excuse for Westminster sexism

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May 6, 2022

Kwarteng’s "bad apples" claim is a rotten excuse for Westminster sexism

Source:

Angela Rayner speaking in the Commons. Almost every female MP has a story of sexism or harassment. Photograph: UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/PA

Analysis: minister’s response to concerns risks appearing tone deaf, but it does play into war on woke.

The “some bad apples” defence deployed by Kwasi Kwarteng in response to concerns about sexism and harassment in Westminster is a tried and tested retort to accusations of an institutional problem – but one that history tells us does not always end well.

In some ways it is the most obvious response, one that seeks both to defend the institution under attack and reassure people the problem is not systemic. However, as the business secretary quickly discovered this weekend, it also runs the risk of being perceived as tone deaf and rooted in denial.

Click here to read the full article published by The Guardian on 2 May 2022.

Author: 
Haroon Siddique
Publisher: 
The Guardian
Publication year: 
2022