Tuesday 8 November 2011

Kay’s Column: Spurned by women, Cameron courts the gay vote

David Cameron has been on the chase for gay votes after successfully scaring all of the women away.

At the Conservative Party conference in Manchester last month he was urging his party to support his proposals to legalise gay marriage. More recently he angered some African leaders by suggesting that the UK would reduce the amount of aid it gives to countries which fail to respect gay rights.

At the conference Cameron said: "Conservatives believe in the ties that bind us; that society is stronger when we make vows to each other and support each other. I don't support gay marriage despite being a Conservative. I support gay marriage because I'm a Conservative."

None of this has anything to do with his ongoing and increasingly uphill (now bordering on vertical) battle to win back the lady's. Vote, that is.

It would be hard to suggest that Cameron has a 'way with women', unless of course that 'way' involves sending them running in the opposite direction. Whilst, worryingly, he's grown on me a bit since becoming Prime Minister, the same cannot be said across the female spectrum.

According to a recent YouGov poll one in three women think that David Cameron is a male chauvinistic pig.

Ok, that's not strictly true but he was voted as the most 'male chauvinist ' , although out of a pool of himself, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband is that really saying a lot? Even Pingu, a little animated penguin, would probably beat Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband in a chauvinisticity contest.

And this is fine, actually, because that's what we want in our modern day politicians. We've moved away a bit from the aggressive, macho power hungry politics.

We like our politicians to be clean shaven and well dressed, intelligent and thoughtful. Preferably not getting drunk or having affairs and all of that dirty business. The likes of Cameron are well advised in ensuring that they are perceived in the right way, ie. not menacing to children, looking interested when women are talking and so on.

Despite this he has managed to do enough to make all of the women in the country hate him (see 'Calm Down Dear-Gate for more).

Obviously we don't all hate him. But his commons slip-ups, along with widespread reports that Tory policy disproportionally affects women, haven't done much to help him. This is of course largely referring to the cuts made to try and get the country's finances back on track which are said to affect women more than any other social group.

To add to his woes another YouGov poll found that only 11 per cent of people felt that the Tory party 'best understands and reflects the views of women voters'.

Unfortunately for Cameron his apologies and attempts to secure the 'pink vote' are unlikely to be enough to make amends.

For any of you who have had the pleasure of knowing a woman we have a natural ability when it comes to remembering the things men have done to upset us.

Politics is no different.

Cameron will be hung out to dry for a while yet and it's unlikely that his actions on gay rights are likely to sway women's opinion because we're very, very stubborn.

He might be trying to demonstrate his nicer side and keep as far away from the 'nasty party' image as much as possible but he should be wary, we won't be fooled.


Kayleigh Lewis

1 comment:

  1. Luckily for Cameron older women are far more likely to support him and they are far more likely to vote. Young women are the least likely group to bother voting in general elections.

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