Tory MP Nick Fletcher has made headline-grabbing remarks in a Westminster Hall debate about International Men’s Day. His unique theory on why young men might succumb to a life of crime:

“Everywhere, not least within the cultural sphere, there seems to be a call from a tiny, very vocal minority that every male character or good role model must have a female replacement…one only needs to have a look at the discussions surrounding who will play the next James Bond. And it’s not just James Bond. In recent years we have seen Doctor Who, Ghostbusters, Luke Skywalker, [and] the Equalizer all replaced by women, and 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.“

If it gets him off the hook for London’s knife crime epidemic, it may be a theory Sadiq Khan can sign up to…