Sexism by Eck

IT IS not often that I speak in defence of Alex Salmond, but I do feel that the accusations of sexism over Eck’s exchange last week with female government minister Anna Soubry are undeserved.

He was mildly insulting in likening her behaviour to that of a “demented junior minister”, but we have heard worse than that in debate in the Commons, and anyway, surely that is not in itself sexist.

It seems that where he fell foul of the guardians of political correctness was in ending his statement with the words, “behave yourself, woman”. 

The two questions that interest me are, is it sexist now to address a woman as “woman”, and would there have been cries of sexism if the boot had been on the other foot and she had exhorted Mr Salmond to “behave yourself, man”?

Or is it, as many suspect, that sexism, along with all the other “isms”, is very much a one-way street?

Walter J Allan

Colinton Mains Drive

Edinburgh