What a

In one breath he attacks the Conservative Party for discrimination -- "a polite form of racism and homophobia" -- and in the next breath he calls for them to make discrimination an official policy.

All-female shortlists are just as discriminatory as any other restrictions on applicants.

What he is saying is that, in the interests of "equality", the best qualified applicant must be refused the job, if that applicant happens to be a man, in favour of a less qualified applicant, who happens to be a woman.

How will the "winning" applicant feel, knowing that she got the job, not because she was the best, but because she is a woman?

How will she feel when, every time she makes a mistake, her detractors say "what do you expect, she only got the job because she's a woman"?, which of course would be true.

Discrimination -- and that includes "positive" discrimination -- is wrong, no matter who it is against, but you certainly won't get rid of it by making it mandatory!

T.R. Miles

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