Reform Party veteran Lee Anderson has whipped up a storm after he invoked the Battle of the Somme to try and prove his point that women don’t have it harder than men.
The Ashfield MP provided a curt response to an account under the name ‘Jessica M’ that had posted a question saying ‘Women deal with periods, pregnancy, and menopause. What do men have to deal with?’
Mr Anderson proceeded to answer ‘Try the Battle of The Somme’, in an apparent reference to men going to war.
His reply provoked a strong response on social media with X users both defending and laughing at the remark.
One person, Steve Scrase, said: ‘Precisely. There is a lack of memory of what man has endured through the centuries and wars and battles that have been fought.
‘Fighting for freedom gets lost in a mountain full of feminism sometimes and this is particularly ironic considering they likely wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for man’s sacrifices during those telling times.’
Another, Nelson Parker, added: ‘Well said Lee!’
But others expressed their disapproval.
User ShakesyGG said: ‘When did you have to deal with the Battle of the Somme? History class?’
MattFiasco added: ‘I hate being a man cus I’m always fighting in the battle of the somme.’
The Battle of the Somme was a major World War I event that took place in 1916 leaving a total of over one million men tragically killed or wounded.
But many X users joked about the time reference in relation to Mr Anderson’s comment saying they were ‘off to the Battle of Somme for work tomorrow’ and ‘I had to do 5 hours on the Western Front this morning. Such as pain in the neck.’
One person simply alleged: ‘You wouldn’t have gone.’
And another joked: ‘Ah yes, my boyfriend’s monthly battle of the Somme an be brutal. When he’s feeling particularly bad I just tell him maybe he should smile more.’
A few others called it a ‘strange example’ as it was a ‘male only conflict from 100yrs ago’ and added ‘women do serve in combat zones’.
One supportive comment was met with a reply from a user who said: ‘Steve, I’m going to hold your hand when I tell you this…
‘Neither you, nor Lee, were at the battle of the somme.’
Lee Anderson became the first ever Reform UK MP after he defected to the party from the Conservatives in March this year.
He was then elected for Reform as an MP at the July 4 General Election.
Pre-politics Mr Anderson worked as a coal miner for ten years.
He had initially been a long-time member of the Labour Party, and was appointed a Labour councillor in the 2015 Ashfield District Council election.
has contacted Mr Anderson for comment.