A Tory MP has attacked white male middle-class lentil-eating sandal-wearing Guardian-reading do-gooders for foisting unwanted equalities legislation on the country.
Philip Davis, who is well known for his negative views towards equality legislation, was speaking during a debate on his Equality and Diversity (Reform) Bill in the Commons on Friday.
His bill would have banned political parties from implementing all-women shortlists, as Labour sometimes do, when choosing candidates for Parliament.
"The most important thing for me is not how many men or women are in Parliament, but how many Conservatives there are in Parliament," he said.
Davis also told MPs his bill, which was voted down, would prevent local councils from giving "benefit or encouragement" to people on the basis of their age, sexuality, race or gender.
"I believe in equality of opportunity and fair chances for all, which is why I am very much opposed to the concept of equality of outcome, which means fixing a result before a process has begun," he said.
The MP for Shipley said he believed equality laws were largely a result of damaging "political correctness".
"it is time for the silent majority to stop being silent and stand up against the scourge of political correctness," he said.
"I think that political correctness hinders the process of tolerance, as it builds up resentment that would not otherwise exist.
"It is not a question of my supporting intolerant or bigoted people, but I do believe in free speech. So-called equality and diversity measures have taken over where common sense used to prevail."
He added: "I would say that political correctness is the promotion of positive discrimination and the restriction of free speech carried out in the name of minorities, but usually initiated by white male middle-class lentil-eating sandal-wearing Guardian-reading do-gooders with too much time on their hands and a misguided guilt complex."
Davis' tirade against political correctness got a stern response from Labour's Denis MacShane.
"In my 17 years in the Commons, this is the most reactionary, right-wing, regressive Bill ever put to this House in a serious speech," he said.
"The whole history of British legislation is precisely to use the power of government and state to redress imbalances and unfairnesses, first, between those who did and did not have the vote--between the aristocracy and the non-noblemen in our communities--and, over time, through other positive action to ensure that there was full equality for all."
Labour's shadow immigration minister Chris Bryant took a more lighthearted approach. Noting Davis' long-held and well known views on equality measures, he wondered why the bill had not been named the Political Correctness Gone Mad (Abolition) Bill.
Davis told Bryant that Commons officials had apparently been infected by the scourge of political correctness.
"I tried to call it that," he said. "But I was not allowed."