Boris Johnson battles to stave off sexism row
April 26, 2022, 6:33 am

Boris Johnson battles to stave off sexism row

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Photo: Official Facebook page)

The We For News reported, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson‘s “basic instinct” is under a scanner as a new, full-blown sexism controversy enveloped the United Kingdoms parliament.

A sensational piece in the right-wing Mail on Sunday newspaper headlined: “Tories (Conservative party members) accuse Angela Rayner (Deputy Leader of the Opposition Labour party) of Basic Instinct ploy to distract Boris Johnson” – a reference to the steamy 1992 film starring Sharon Stone. It further captioned: “MPs claim Labour deputy leader likes to put PM ‘off his stride’ by crossing and uncrossing her legs at PMQs (prime minister’s questions in the House of Commons)”.

The paper quoted a spokesman for Rayner, 41, as saying the suggestion was “categorically untrue”. She does wear short skirts while sitting on the front bench next to the Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer during PMQs, but this is generally considered in the western world today as smart rather than sexy dressing.

Boris Johnson‘s “basic instinct” is under a scanner as a new, full-blown sexism controversy enveloped the United Kingdoms parliament (Photo: UK PM Boris Jonhson official Facebook page)

Boris Johnson contacted Rayner on Sunday (Apr 24) to convey that he considered claims about her misogynistic. Referring to the newspaper article, he tweeted: “As much as I disagree with Angela Rayner on almost every political issue, I respect her as a parliamentarian and deplore the misogyny directed at her anonymously today.”

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On Monday (Apr 25), The Guardian daily reported: “Boris Johnson is also understood to have written directly to Rayner. The contents of the letter have not been shared, except for one quote reported by the Telegraph (a pro-Johnson broadsheet) that stated: ‘The comments were not in my name’.”

On BBC Radio, the shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said: “I am sick and tired of the way that female MPs and women are treated in parliament.” She described the incident as an “outrageous slur on Angela”.

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Thereafter appearing on the TV programme BBC Breakfast, she added: “She (Rayner) doesn’t need to use her sex to win an argument or put the Prime Minister off, or whatever was suggested in that article. She does it by the strength of her argument.”

Chris Philip, Technology Minister in Boris Johnson’s government, told Sky News he expected government whips would investigate who had made the comments, and if their identity emerged he would “imagine they would be subject to discipline”.

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Glen Owen, political editor of Mail on Sunday, who wrote the story is facing questions over whether his Lobby pass should be withdrawn, the Press Gazette claimed. The UK’s Independent Press Standards Organisation is said to have received 5,500 complaints within 24 hours about the article, which penned: “All is fair in love, war and Commons duels with Boris Johnson, if the claims of Tory MPs are to be believed.”

Source: wefornews

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”