[Margaret Pilkington]

Well, I feel really sorry for those women who seem to be mortally wounded by what they consider to be a sexist remark.
How did these women get to the elevated positions without growing a protective hide and a bit of sharp repartee.
Andrea Leadsom for a start, Micheal Fallon is supposed to have alluded to a place where she could warm her hands...now unless he also indicated that it would be in his groin area, then this women has blown things out of all proportion....for all we know he might have been telling her to warm her hands in her pockets(not his)...so it is in her bad mind where the supposed insult has taken place.
The fact that she wanted to improve her own situation by worsening his is just 'by the by'.

All this hullabaloo about these supposed sexist insults, minor assaults detracts from the women who have been physically/sexually assaulted.
Women in these places need to take responsibility for their personal lives...they do not need to be victims and it is easy enough to sort out those men who have Desert Disease(wandering palms....a blow to the fuzzy nudgers usually suffices and is only needed one time)
If a man (or any person) speaks to you in a way that you find insulting or offensive...or touches you when you do not want to be touched(be it knee, shoulder ,elbow or anywhere more private) then you tell them, in terms that cannot be misconstrued...and tell them that any repeat of the insult, remark, touching etc will be reported...and that is it. Job done.

I think that the guys in Brussels are rubbing their hands right now to see how all political parties are in such disarray....so YES...I do think it is a distraction from the work that should be going on in Westmister to get us out of the flytrap that is the EU