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No maids in waiting - why are we pillorying Dutch firm for banning female staff ? No maids in waiting - why are we pillorying Dutch firm for banning female staff ?
(35 minutes later)
A Dutch caterer, Hans van der Linde, has been explaining to an indignantA Dutch caterer, Hans van der Linde, has been explaining to an indignant
international press why he decided that male-only waiting staff would international press why he decided that male-only waiting staff would
work better for lunch at the nuclear security summit at the Hague earlier this week. “If work better for lunch at the nuclear security summit at the Hague earlier this week. “If
20 gentlemen are serving and three platinum blonde ladies, then that 20 gentlemen are serving and three platinum blonde ladies, then that
spoils the image”. Indeed. In official photographs of the world leaders at the meeting, you can immediately spot how the presence of spoils the image”. Indeed. In official photographs of the world leaders at the meeting, you can immediately spot how the presence of
ladies, even when they are dark-haired and comprehensively outnumbered, ladies, even when they are dark-haired and comprehensively outnumbered,
can still destroy, as Mr van der Linde has argued, any hope of visual can still destroy, as Mr van der Linde has argued, any hope of visual
homogeneity - in which respect Angela Merkel’s red jacket must have homogeneity - in which respect Angela Merkel’s red jacket must have
been especially unwelcome. And those of us hoping for a safer world can been especially unwelcome. And those of us hoping for a safer world can
only hope that the threat of the German chancellor distracting her only hope that the threat of the German chancellor distracting her
male colleagues from the pursuit of nuclear security has been dealt withmale colleagues from the pursuit of nuclear security has been dealt with
as competently as the similar risks to male concentration that would be as competently as the similar risks to male concentration that would be
presented by female waitresses, at least according to protective summit presented by female waitresses, at least according to protective summit
official Jean-Paul Weijers. official Jean-Paul Weijers.
It seems all the more unfair to pillory Mr van der Linde and Mr
It seems all the more unfair to pillory Mr van der Linde and Mr
Weijers when the Dutch purge only differs from many similar efforts in Weijers when the Dutch purge only differs from many similar efforts in
this country in having been so successfully realised. A photograph of this country in having been so successfully realised. A photograph of
the Tory front bench was only disfigured, recently, by the presence of the Tory front bench was only disfigured, recently, by the presence of
two women, clearly visible on the second row back. Similarly, the two women, clearly visible on the second row back. Similarly, the
inclusion of just three women’s names among the 19 progressive inclusion of just three women’s names among the 19 progressive
signatories to the new letter asking for more radicalism from David signatories to the new letter asking for more radicalism from David
Miliband, indicates what can only have been a concerted attempt at male Miliband, indicates what can only have been a concerted attempt at male
uniformity. uniformity.
For it is too much for us to believe, surely, that 16 progressive
For it is too much for us to believe, surely, that 16 progressive
gentlemen from our leading think tanks could just not have noticed, as gentlemen from our leading think tanks could just not have noticed, as
they finessed the wording, that they outnumbered women writers by over they finessed the wording, that they outnumbered women writers by over
five to one on a radical document that demanded among other things, five to one on a radical document that demanded among other things,
“transformative” change, the creation “of a much more equal and “transformative” change, the creation “of a much more equal and
sustainable society”, and the “empowerment of everybody”. sustainable society”, and the “empowerment of everybody”.
No, the idea that a battalion of progressives could call for the
No, the idea that a battalion of progressives could call for the
empowerment of everybody, and not spot that they embodied a worse sex empowerment of everybody, and not spot that they embodied a worse sex
ratio than the Tory cabinet is almost as preposterous as the creation ofratio than the Tory cabinet is almost as preposterous as the creation of
an all-women blog in 2014. an all-women blog in 2014.