MEP attacks new rules on car insurance

NEW rules which raise women’s car insurance costs have been criticised as “gender equality for gender equality’s sake”.

London MEP Marina Yannakoudakis said: “Only in the EU could penalising both women and men be seen as a kind of fairness.”

The Tory spokeswoman in Strasbourg on women’s rights, hit out on the day that new “gender-neutral” pricing rules came into force. They follow a European Court verdict on sex discrimination and affect areas where different standards apply to the sexes – notably car insurance and pension ages.

Applying equality rules means that men are now likely to get lower pension annuities, while women will pay more for car insurance where traditionally they are considered safer drivers.