Stockport council under fire after telling people to ‘treat Covid like your mother-in-law’

Stockport council has come under fire for a ‘misogynistic’ tweet that urged people to treat coronavirus ‘like your mother-in-law’.

The post read ‘the trick to social distancing is acting like your mother-in-law’s around every corner!’.

In light of the evidence that domestic abuse against women has soared in lockdown, many pointed out the tweet was a poor judgement of ‘humour’. 

The council has apologised for ‘any upset caused’ and has since removed the tweet. 

Councillor Tom Morrison, who asked the council to take the tweet down, said it had done ‘nothing to help combat dangerous stereotypes that have spiked over recent months’.

The UN has described the increase in domestic abuse in lockdown as a global ‘shadow pandemic’.

In further explaining that he couldn’t see the funny side, Morrison cited a south Manchester domestic violence charity that has reported a whopping 160% increase in calls since the beginning of the pandemic. 

He said: “This is simply unacceptable, I thought we left these kinds of tropes back in the 1970s where they belong.”

“Across Stockport council, women are desperately under-represented. Is it any wonder when the council’s own social media team is putting out crass comments like this?

“We need to be doing everything we can to encourage more women to get involved in politics, not lumping stereotypes on them.”

This isn’t the first time Stockport council has had to apologise due to its coronavirus messaging. 

In April, the council used an example of the 1986 Challenger disaster – where seven astronauts died seconds after lift off when the shuttle exploded – to drum home a message to listen to expert advice. 

Morrison is the Lib Dems’ shadow cabinet member for Inclusive Neighbourhoods, and he said he expected better in the future.

He added: “Stockport council needs to get its act in gear, retract this post, apologise, and clearly stop hiring Jim Davidson to write their social media content.”

A spokesperson for Stockport council said: “The council has taken down the social media posts. We apologise for any upset caused.”