The Health Secretary Matt Hancock has been widely criticised for his response to a question about misogynistic and homophobic remarks made by former Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott.
The government is reportedly considering hiring Mr Abbott as the joint president of Britain's relaunched Board of Trade.
Speaking on Sky News this morning, presenter Kay Burley asked Mr Hancock whether he thought the UK should be working in this way with Mr Abbott, 'Even if he's a homophobic misogynist'.
Mr Hancock replied: 'I don't think that's true.'
Ms Burley countered: 'I've just told you what he said, I'm sure you don't support some of his comments - he's a homophobe and a misogynist'
Mr Hancock replied: 'Well, he's also an expert in trade'.
There has been a social media outcry against Mr Hancock's comments and praise for Ms Burley.
The presenter deserves credit for not mincing her words and phrasing her questions to the MP unashamedly. Rather than including quote marks around the ideas of homophobia and misogyny and prefacing it constantly with 'allegedly', the journalist finally did what most of us have been screaming for our breakfast presenters to do - take the government to task on prejudice.
We've grown sick of questions that go along the lines of 'XX is alleged to have made comments that COULD be DEEMED by SOME as racist/homophobic/sexist/misogynistic.'
Because, guess what? If you say something homophobic, that makes you a homophobe. If you say something misogynistic, that makes you a misogynist. It's just language. And we know that Mr Hancock is very keen on people using the right tone.
Mr Abbott has previously said men are better suited for leadership roles than women, described abortion as the 'easy way out', opposed same-sex marriage and said he feels a 'bit threatened by homosexuality'. He also said homosexuality 'challenges the right order of things'.
Mr Abbott denies accusations of misogyny. Asked whether he had ever suggested that men may be 'by physiology or temperament more adapted to exercise authority or to issue command', Mr Abbott told MPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday: 'I am not sure I ever did say that.'
Asked about several of Mr Abbott's comments and beliefs, Mr Hancock, wearing a rainbow-coloured NHS badge, said: 'I bow to nobody in my support for everybody to love who they love, whoever that is.
'But we need to have the best experts in the world working in their field and as the former prime minister of Australia, he has a huge amount of experience.'
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