Corbyn: Drinking After Work Is Sexist

Jeremy Corbyn has called for an end to after-work drinks, claiming the practice discriminates against women.

Mr. Corbyn said companies should discourage “early evening socialisation”, as it benefits men “who don’t feel the need to be at home looking after their children”.

The Labour leader made the remarks at an evening event to win women voters over, which was followed by a drinks party.

Mr. Corbyn said the culture of staff enjoying drinks after work “benefits men who don’t feel the need to be at home looking after their children and it discriminates against women who will want to, obviously, look after the children that they have got”.

At the event, the MP for Islington North promised to end “discrimination, sexism and violence” and unveiled new policies aimed at attracting women voters.

Pledging to “remove the barriers in our society to full equality”, Mr. Corbyn promised to strengthen laws relating to sexual harassment and insulting women online.

The Labour leader also reaffirmed his support for all-women shortlists and said he is committed to ensuring 50:50 gender representation in public office.

He slammed “austerity” as having disproportionately affected women, and promised to bring an end to Tory spending cuts.

Mr. Corbyn also pledged to introduce a Labour women’s conference, which would have powers to draw up party policy, and a women’s advisory board.

The Labour leader’s woman-centric policies failed to hit the mark with many social media users, some suggesting Mr. Corbyn’s assertions were sexist.

https://twitter.com/jamesrbuk/status/771615404703617026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The Times’ political editor said the Labour leader’s intervention on after-work socials “manages to offend everyone”.

Matt Chorley told LBC: “So he manages to offend almost everyone by suggesting that being at home with your children is a job for women and that dads aren’t bothered about seeing their children these days. They’re the ones that are quite happy about being in the pub.”

Mr. Corbyn’s stance may prove popular beyond women, however, as activists have argued in the past that after-work drinks are unfair to Muslims, who choose not to drink on the basis of their religion.