They’ll ban winking next.

Harriet Harman came in for a lot of ‘flak’ this week when she turned up on the streets of south London looking like she expected to be hit by the real thing as she toured the area wearing a ‘Met vest’, the standard body armour worn by officers of London’s police force service.

Now I doubt if the politically correct Ms. Harmanperson was in much physical danger from the people of Peckham, but she was in great danger of being called “love”, “dear” or “darling” if she came into contact with Peckham’s most famous resident, ‘Del Boy’ or one of his mates.

How would the poor dear have coped should she have been subjected to such “insulting language”? …  for it seems that she has decided that the days of calling women “love” and “darling” are gone, and in the case of employees, such as bar staff, who have to listen to what is described as ”sexist banter” … Well ! Yes you guessed it. They should receive … Compensation ! … which is strange as I must have been asked … “What can I get you, love?” … thousands of times by pub barmaids.

I know that foreign visitors to this country find being called “luv” or “loov” (if oop north) a bit strange, but along with “mate”, “guv” and even “cock” it’s just a friendly working class form of address, and one that I’ve used all my life without anyone ever taking offence. I suppose that it’s a bit like an American calling me “buddy” or calling a strange woman ”honey”, and black “dudes” calling each other “bro”.

I remember that Horsey Anne was once addressed as “love” by one of us ’peasants’ and retorted … “I’m not a ‘love’ … I’m Your Royal Highness”, and anyone of us who objects can do the same, so why all the fuss ?

Now our Harriet is not only the Member of Parliament for Camberwell and Peckham, but also Leader of the House of Commons, Lord (shouldn’t that be Lady) Privy Seal and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, but she introduced all this ’sexist banter’ cobblers in her role as Minister for Women and Equalities, which makes me wonder …  Why isn’t there a  …

…   Minister For Men And Inequalities ?