MEN make terrible decisions and should not be left in charge, a Lib Dem equalities minister said yesterday.
Lynne Featherstone made a shock assault on half the world at a fringe meeting of the party conference in Birmingham.
She said: "I have always gone out and advocated to women you must get your hands on levers, you must get hold of power, you must be where decisions are made.
"Because otherwise if you leave it to - I'm going to say men in this case because that's the way the world has worked - you get terrible decisions.
"Look at the mess the world is in, and look who has been in charge. I leave it there."
Tory Coalition colleagues said the comments were "completely wrong" from a minister whose job is to end sexism.
Shipley MP Philip Davies said: "One of the most terrible decisions that men have made was making her equalities minister, so I suppose you can see where she is coming from."
And Nadine Dorries, MP for Mid Bedfordshire, joked: "Yes, she's absolutely right. Churchill was rubbish."
Ms Featherstone appeared to echo claims by Labour's former equalities minister Harriet Harman in 2009 that the banking crisis was caused by too many male bankers.
Ms Harman said there could have been less turmoil if "it had been Lehman sisters rather than Lehman Brothers".
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