Janet Street Porter setting back women’s rights, says Councillor Danczuk

Karen Danczuk on Loose Women

Rochdale Councillor Karen Danczuk has accused journalist and broadcaster Janet Street Porter of “being hopelessly out of touch with modern women and stuck in a 1950s Stepford Wives mindset” after the pair clashed on ITV’s Loose Women today (Tuesday 7 October).

Councillor Danczuk was responding after the outspoken journalist accused her of being a poor role model to “15-year old girls in Rochdale” for appearing in selfies in low cut tops.

Making reference to the Rochdale grooming scandal, Janet Street Porter said that Karen carried a responsibility as councillor and she was “ashamed” at the way she dressed.

Speaking to Rochdale Online afterwards, Councillor Danczuk said it was “deeply insulting and wrong” of Ms Street Porter to link the way women dress with the rape of young girls.

“That argument belongs in the dark ages and I really thought we’d moved on from this backwards thinking,” she said. “To suggest that the grooming scandal should influence how women dress is effectively saying that the rapists have won. Does Janet really think we should go round in sackcloth and ashes?”

She also accused Ms Street-Porter of being hopelessly out of touch with young people by suggesting that 15-year-olds hold councillors up as role models.

“I wish that were the case,” she said, “but politicians have got a lot of work to do to connect with young people and I’m afraid Janet seems stuck in a 1950s worldview that no longer applies.”

View the program on ITV Player: https://www.itv.com/itvplayer/loose-women