Doncaster MP Nick Fletcher links women taking lead roles in Star Wars and Doctor Who to males committing crime​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

After securing a debate in Westminster Hall to mark International Men’s Day, Fletcher reeled off various statistics highlighting boys doing worse at school, men dying younger than women and the vast majority of rough sleepers being male.

But in the same speech, Fletcher said that good male role models are being replaced on TV and in cinemas by women and said that men were left with ‘The Krays’ and ‘Tommy Shelby’.

He then said: “Is there any wonder we are seeing so many young men committing crime?”

He made the comments after saying there needed to be more male role models for young boys in particular and referenced charity Lads Need Dads as well as encouraging more men to enter the teaching profession.

In the debate, Fletcher said: “Some may say that men have had their turn and it’s a woman’s turn now, however, that’s a poor argument and one that I find infantile. Yet it is something that I have heard in these premises during private discussions.

“It’s time we recognise the need for positive male role models for our boys, failure to do this will only mean that boys will be continually let down.

“Men need their own identity and masculinity needs to be something that can be celebrated rather than continually vilified.

“Everywhere, not at least within the cultural sphere, there seems to be a call from a tiny, yet very vocal minority, that every male character or good role model must have a female replacement.

“There only needs to be a discussion around who is the next James Bond. It’s not just James Bond, in recent years we have seen Doctor Who, Ghostbusters, Luke Skywalker, The Equalizer, all replaced by women.

“Men are left with the Krays and Tommy Shelby. Is there any wonder we are seeing so many young men committing crime?

“These programmes make crime look cool. Trust me, a lifetime in prison is not cool and neither is living with the memory of a stabbed son or daughter.”