Without wanting to get into the argument about strivers versus skivers which is part of the government's view of life, the Conservative Party's latest advert is striking in its negative portrayal of men. Here they show a skiver as being a man loafing on his sofa.

What is sad about this advert is not just the context that we are still in the economic mire so there are plenty of people (2.5 million) who are unemployed (including 1.5 million claiming Jobseeker's allowance) but this includes 1.4 million men and 1.1 million women.

So with the figures showing roughly 55% men and 45% women - does that mean the next poster will be a female skiver on the sofa.

No I doubt it either, because it is easier to stigmatise men rather than women. That's the way is in the discriminatory UK.

Posted by Skimmington