A Labour councillor in Haringey, Cllr Brian Haley, has apologised to a Lib Dem colleague, Cllr Laura Edge.
Cllr Haley had told her:
"I do have to say, Cllr Edge, you're a bit like a trifle, very sweet and very lightweight."
Cllr Edge said afterwards:
"I thought it was a sexist remark. It wasn't the comment about him likening me to a trifle which angered me, it was all the sniggering and innuendo that followed. It was like being in a school playground. It's unacceptable in this day and age for someone who is a member of a party which espouses equality to take such an attitude to women."
Afterwards Cllr Haley declared: "You could equate a trifle with men and women." That seemed to amount to him withdrawing his apology. His comment does sound sexist to me. It is possible the same words could have been directed to a fellow male councillor …but they would have sounded a bit odd.