Today at PMQs, two white men in their forties fought to prove they were on the side of women.
Unemployment in Britain has jumped to its highest level since 1994. Figures demonstrate that there has been a 5.4 per cent increase in the number of women unemployed in the year through to August, in comparison to 4.1 per cent for men.
The young have been hardest hit in the latest round of unemployment figures.
But women were the main focus in the chamber – and female MPs surrounded the prime minister and the leader of the opposition to emphasise this point.
In the first PMQs since party conference season, Miliband asked Cameron when women's unemployment was last this low.
"Typically, he didn't answer the question," the leader of the opposition told the chamber.
So he answered his own question (an unusual tactic for PMQs, one might argue – as he only get six supplementary points).
"Women's unemployment at its highest level since 1988," he told himself. That was when the Conservatives were in power last time, Miliband reminded the prime minister.
"Instead of apologising to my right honourable friend for saying, 'calm down dear', he should be apologising to the women of this country."
"Of course, I want to see more women in work," replied Cameron. "And there are more women in work – 50,000 more since the last election."
Angela Eagle, Harriet Harman, Theresa May, Margot James all shook their heads. But, of course, they did not speak.
It's PMQs, after all.
Plus, Cameron and/or Miliband were fighting their corner. Hurrah! (Or not, depending on your political persuasion.)
Talking of fighting corners, the prime minister also gave his ol' tennis buddy Liam Fox a supportive slap on the back (not physically – Fox is currently in France – so that would be difficult).
Labour MP Pat Glass asked if someone breaks the ministerial code, whether they should be sacked.
"I would ask people to have a little patience," Cameron said, and to wait for the cabinet secretary's review.
But he added: "I think the defence secretary has done an excellent job…"
He also reminded the Commons of that little-known truth – that a breach of the ministerial code does not necessarily mean the boot.
Whether Fox gets the sack or not depends on the prime minister, Cameron said.
I am sure he will be reminding the defence secretary of this fact as well.
Probably on a regular basis, if Fox stays.
That supportive slap on the back could leave a sting.
UPDATE: It seems that shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy will look at Cameron's power to decide whether to act on the potential ministerial code breach. He put out a press release shortly after PMQs that stated: "The prime minister has to be clear, if the ministerial code has been breached in this case, will the minister have to go? As the prime minister said, that is not an issue for the inquiry, it is a matter for him... We need a full list of every minister and senior member of No10 staff who has met Adam Werritty socially or officially since May 2010... The defence secretary has questions to answer, but so now does the prime minister as well. The political crisis surrounding Liam Fox appears to be closer to Downing Street than many had expected."
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