Questioning Lincoln’s Conservative MP Karl McCartney’s use of Twitter.

Earlier this week a Conservative Lincolnshire County Councillor, Richard Davies, tweeted a picture of a row of women in their underwear.

Along with an offensive remark.

And in effect compared prospective parliamentary candidate Lucy Rigby and other female Labour candidates to ‘lingerie models’.

Instead of condemning this clearly loutish sexism, the Conservative MP for Lincoln, Karl McCartney, seeing this Tweet, merely replied by joking that re-tweeting this comment about his opponent would get him into trouble – and that anyone who complained lacked a sense of humour.

Davies later apologised for the picture, both on Twitter and on BBC Radio Lincolnshire, but McCartney stayed silent.

Then he retweeted a post implying that people should be “grateful” for the sexist attack.

All women shortlists are ‘sexist’ apparently – and this is the way to deal with them.

And while McCartney has denied condoning Davies’ tweet, he did post about it during an exchange with ‘a member of the public’, stating: “those with sense of humour will appreciate” and that complainants needed to “get over themselves”.

Same old.

Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities, Gloria De Piero, has written to David Cameron, asking him for his opinion of McCartney’s behaviour:

‘Dear Prime Minister,

You will no doubt be aware of the conduct on social media of one of your Party’s MPs, Karl McCartney, towards the Labour Party’s Parliamentary candidate for Lincoln, Lucy Rigby.

On Sunday, Richard Davies, a Conservative councillor, used Twitter to compare the selection of Lucy Rigby by an All-Woman Shortlist to a picture of a group of glamour models posing in their underwear. Faced with complaints, local MP Mr McCartney did nothing to distance himself from Cllr Davies’ comments, but instead suggested that “those with sense of humour will appreciate” and that complainants needed to “get over themselves”.

I have to ask whether, as Leader of the Conservative Party, you believe there is any place in our politics, or indeed in our public life, for the attitude displayed by one of your MPs.

I am proud of the leadership my Party has shown in the use of All-Women Shortlists to increase the number of women in Parliament. However, much more needs to be done to open up our politics and I would suggest that simply accepting the stance taken by  Richard Davies and Karl McCartney undermines those efforts.

I note that Mr Davies has subsequently apologised for his comment, but have seen nothing to suggest that Mr McCartney has either apologised for or explained his own intervention.

I look forward to your response on this matter.

Gloria De Piero MP

Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities.’

She is not the only one. We look forward to his response on this matter, too.