A CONSERVATIVE MP has been praised for saying the word ‘tampon’ without turning red and falling over.
Norman Steele, 59, became the first Tory MP to refer to tampons by name, retaining his composure while his colleagues began snorting and wheezing at the thought of the feminine hygiene products.
Steele hesitated briefly before intoning ‘tampon’ in a throaty whisper, while explaining that VAT on them should not be abolished.
He said: “It went against all my instincts to say the word ‘tampon’ aloud, but I needed to make clear which female sanitary products I consider a taxable luxury, namely, all of them.”
Helen Archer, a political historian, said: “Whenever tampons have come up in the past, Tories have tended to use use terms like ’unthinkables’, ‘spark plugs’, and ‘lady corks’.
“Some members like to say ’women’s business’, but it’s never clear if they’re referring to tampons, frilly underwear or doing the washing up.”
Archer added she was hopeful a Conservative MP would successfully say the word ’menstruation’ by 2040.
