TONY Blair is guilty of complying with the daftest and most patronising piece of political correctness I have ever come across.

He has sanctioned the post of a women's minister for his Government. I have no idea whether or not this job existed before this last election, but Blair is bonkers to allow it in this day and age.

I thought it was a joke when Mrs Mann pointed out the position to me as she read the details of the new cabinet line-up. I initially misheard and thought she was talking of a minister for swimming, which is probably quite a good idea, given the healthy exercise involved.

The women's post reminded me of Monty Python's Ministry of Silly Walks, and is probably more superfluous.

If women expect to be treated equally, then they certainly don't need their own separate minister. That's a signal from the start that they need extra help, and that they are some sort of oppressed minority group.

The suffragettes surely changed history in order to get on the same footing as men, not to be given a special status that immediately marks them out as inferior in some way.

Mrs Mann is certainly more equal than me in most things, and maybe it would be more appropriate to have a ministry for subservient husbands.

The other absurd thing about the minister for women is that she is Patricia Hewitt, who is also the new trade and industry secretary. By combining these roles, the PM surely sends out the signals that women should be given an extra advantage in the workplace.

I'm all for equalising pay and conditions, and I know there are examples of women earning significantly less than men in similar jobs. But legislation exists to redress this, and Blair can tighten up these laws if he doesn't think they go far enough. After all, it is 22 years since we first elected a woman PM, so we're hardly a biased society these days.

Women need their own Government minister as much as William Hague needs directions to Downing Street. So please Tony, if you're reading this while relaxing in Chequers at the weekend, scrap this post and get on with the real business of Government.