Does This Ukip Man Have 'prehistoric' Views?

[FredPuli43]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2515115/Ukip-MEP-Stuart-Agnew-claims-women-lack-ambition-babies-way.html

Mr Agnew was in a debate about having gender quotas. He observed that women who had babies lacked ambition or drive to succeed; babies got in the way; though there were exceptions, but sexism and poor child care held some influence [I paraphrase]

Does he have a point? In the circumstances of the debate, I don't find that necessarily 'prehistoric'

[hc4361]

AOG, you do have selective memory.
What about the families that used to hide from the rent man because they couldn't afford to pay?
The families that relied on the pawn shop or had a tally at the corner shop?
Those children that were given boots and shoes by the local newspapers' Christmas appeal otherwise they would have none?
Families that 'did a flit' owing money everywhere?
Gas meters broken in to for the money.

As for married women not working - that is a fallacy for the majority of people. They may have had to give up their civil service and teaching jobs but they did work outside the home - usually very low paid, part time jobs such as cleaning, catering, shopwork, evening jobs such as usherettes at the cinema.

[anotheoldgit]

hc4361

/// What about the families that used to hide from the rent man because they couldn't afford to pay?
The families that relied on the pawn shop or had a tally at the corner shop?
Those children that were given boots and shoes by the local newspapers' Christmas appeal otherwise they would have none?
Families that 'did a flit' owing money everywhere?
Gas meters broken in to for the money. ///

Most of what you say may be true in some families, but could you imagine anyone going to those lengths these days? well on second thoughts, yes some would still I do believe even after being given state hand outs and free health care etc.

/// As for married women not working - that is a fallacy for the majority of people. They may have had to give up their civil service and teaching jobs but they did work outside the home - usually very low paid, part time jobs such as cleaning, catering, shopwork, evening jobs such as usherettes at the cinema. ///

I don't think these would be ex teachers or ex civil servants, no these casual workers would be the ordinary working class or single parent family women, who's husbands were in the forces, and the women boosted their meagre income by taking up the kind of jobs that you suggested.

[hc4361]

Both my mother and grandmother worked all their lives and they were in no way unusual. They both were home owners, too. My grandmother was born in 1901.
My father was from a farming background and his mother worked for a dairy until she had to look after my very ill grandfather.

[FredPuli43]

According to this 66.5 per cent of mothers are in work. That may be rather a lot of selfish women who are not bringing up there children properly
Depends how you read it, apparently from year ending 2010

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/the-womens-blog-with-jane-martinson/2011/mar/31/mothers-working-equal-women-without-children

[CokeTulip]

Zabba dabba doo ...

What he says I suppose is less prehistoric and just ageless - could go quite far back and quite far forward with it - its dizzy - it could be very now and he has a point.

It might have had more impact if he smashed a glass ceiling or something or held a baby while delivering (oops it would have got in the way) . I'm now waiting for how he is going to make a difference...I can't wait!

He hasn't said what "ideally" he wants for women with babies? Their plight is so awful.

One of my teachers used to split people into - ambitious or not (and claimed that nothing will make someone ambitious if it isn't in them).
I know nothing but I sometimes see women more ambitious with a baby than without (they have more fight) and are more ambitious for their husband/partner too but yes they may not be in a position to contemplate the role of Managing Director.

What about the childless women who dont get to the top either!?

Some women are fiercely ambitious about wanting a baby and family unit over and above anything else so - he seems to be concentrating on measuring success by achievements outside the family so maybe here he is abit out of date actually. High flyers aren't necessarily all that happy - male or female but some are.