Today's illiberal liberal - Lynn Featherstone

I really do despair at times at the intellectual contortions that some "Liberal Democrats" have to go through to justify their use of the term 'liberal' in describing themselves. Here's Lynn Featherstone, Liberal Democrat MP sucking up to the Hampstead feminist lefty vote:

When asked if I supported the campaign ‘No more Page 3′ during an interview with the Independent on Sunday – I said yes!

It isn’t top of my list of things to do – but it is part of the whole issue surrounding the coarsening of women’s representation in the public space – and it is anything but harmless.

Page 3 has the effect of enforcing the notion that women are little other than sex objects. For me, a semi naked woman in a ‘family friendly’ daily newspaper for the direct purpose of the titillation of men is an outdated idea that has no place in a modern world or in a country that prides itself on the strides made in the last 40 years towards equality between the sexes.

There is an honourable argument (that I don't personally agree with) against 'Page 3' - Ms Featherstone rather tritely touches on it by talking of coarseness and women's representation. But this argument is not, and never has been, a 'liberal' argument. If anything the focus on public morals and behaviour reminds us of Georgian sensibility or of a Victorian high Tory viewpoint.

What I find odd is that our National Gallery is filled with paintings depicting women as sex objects - a glorious Reubens is above and there are thousands of others showing seductions, orgies and even rapes. Yet Ms Featherstone does not campaign for covering these images but rather the slightly less stylish snaps of naked ladies in The Sun.

I'm guessing that the women pictured in The Sun appear willingly and are paid well for doing so. At which point the Liberal argument should be to applaud their enterprise, respect their individual choice and, if offended, not buy the newspaper concerned. Not to try and ban the pictures.

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Listening to those who would ban things plus a ray of hope

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This morning whilst wending my way towards Bradford, I chanced to listen to Nicky Campbell's morning phone in. Today's subject was "banning" and whether action should be taken about smoking in films and breasts in the Sun.

Dominating about ten minutes of this phone in was one Evan Harris, ex-MP and full time nannying fussbucket. Dr Harris wanted to do something about Page Three - it was, he said a terrible thing, it objectified women, it encouraged the early sexualisation of children and something should be done (I think Dr Harris wants the Sun banned but would settle for it being sold under plain cover in specialist shops).

Turning (at last) to another caller, Nicky asks "you disagree with that argument?"

"Completely," said the caller.  I smiled.

The next two callers - after a break for news or travel - were a "feminist comedian" and Paige, a Page Three Girl. The "comedian" starts talking about how toddlers in buggies could see the Sun on the shelves without for even a second appreciating that your typical toddler has an entirely different relationship with pictures of bare flesh than does the average adult.

Cue Paige who defends her job, explaining patiently that if parents don't want their children to read the Sun then they shouldn't let them read it. Paige, speaking as a mum, pointed out that it was her responsibility to bring up her child and not the responsibility of government.

Paige was the voice of common sense - supported by most of the other callers - ranged against the know-alls and fussbuckets who love to control, to direct and to ban. People who want to judge what "good parenting" means despite, it seems, having no substantive experience of actual parenting.

I remain worried that ban-fans like Dr Harris and the "feminist comedian" will win the day. But I am reassured by the good sense of ordinary people and cheered by Paige the glamour model who I'm pretty sure will raise her daughter right well without the interference of the state's nannying fussbuckets.

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