Wednesday, April 14, 2004
Inevitable happens - newspaper puts it on front page
The Conservative AM for Monmouth, David Davies, has said he will resign from the Assembly's Equality of Opportunity Committee because of "insufferable political correctness". Naturally, this rather inevitable outcome of David's ongoing dispute with members of the Committee made the lead article in the Western Mail. As I have said previously David is often his own worst enemy. He is unfailingly courteous in putting forward his views as he is entitled to do but then gets upset when people take offence at them. It is almost as if he has no awareness of the effect he can have on such a group.
I have no brief whatsoever for David's views, in fact I disagree with him on every equal opportunity issue, however his departure from the Committee will make the Assembly a duller place. When he says that there is a "suffocating atmosphere of political correctness" surrounding the equality of opportunities committee, he actually has a valid point. He has made it worse by playing up to this atmosphere but there is no doubt that it does exist.
David goes on to say, "I'm concerned about the message the committee gives out. As I have gone round Wales I have come across a huge number of people who are losing their patience with political correctness. My fear is that the committee is counter-productive, and that instead of bringing people together, it is going to help create a more divided society." Putting aside the element of self-justification in this remark it is an opinion that should be taken seriously.
I have no brief whatsoever for David's views, in fact I disagree with him on every equal opportunity issue, however his departure from the Committee will make the Assembly a duller place. When he says that there is a "suffocating atmosphere of political correctness" surrounding the equality of opportunities committee, he actually has a valid point. He has made it worse by playing up to this atmosphere but there is no doubt that it does exist.
David goes on to say, "I'm concerned about the message the committee gives out. As I have gone round Wales I have come across a huge number of people who are losing their patience with political correctness. My fear is that the committee is counter-productive, and that instead of bringing people together, it is going to help create a more divided society." Putting aside the element of self-justification in this remark it is an opinion that should be taken seriously.
