As climate change melts the ice caps and the global economy goes to hell in a handcart, I see our chums in the European Parliament are getting their priorities right, writes blogger David Banner. They’ve banned “Miss” and “Mrs” on the grounds that they are sexist.

Yes, apparently Madame and Mademoiselle, Frau and Fråulein, Senorita and Senora will be heard no more in the European Parliament.

A new pamphlet on “Gender-Neutral Language” urges MEPS to address female members only by their full names. And here was me thinking Miss and Mrs were used out of politeness and respect. What a fool I’ve been.

What annoys me is not the fact that these people are making these rules in their gilded rooms, completely divorced from the rest of the world. What annoys me is the fact that I don’t know who is making these rules, that I have no say in what goes on over there, how my money is spent and that I have never been asked if I want to be a part of this “project”.

Anyway, I would have thought that the MEPs would have bigger fish to fry (hopefully fish that are legally-sanctioned in terms of weight and appearance). What about – ooh, I don’t know – what about making sure the EU’s massive annual budget is all present and correct and ready to be signed off by the accountants. It hasn’t been for years. God alone knows where vast amounts of our money is going.

Actually, can I mention God? God’s a “he”, isn’t he? Is that sexist? I ask only because our chums have also outlawed any word that refers to gender. Instead of “sportsman” or “sportswoman” they must say “athlete”; for “man-made” they must say “artificial”. And for total waste of time and taxes they must say “European Union”. (Probably.)