Changing your mind. The benefit of being a male politican?

Strictly it wasn't a U-turn. David Cameron opened a 'consultation' about the idea of selling off England's national forests(to summarise the policy quickly but not entirely accurately) and decided in the end that it was a bad idea. But I applaud his ability to finally decide something which is by all accounts what most of England would have wanted. And it got me thinking about the benefits of being able to change your mind. That although in the game of politics, this behaviour will be derided by opposition parties, I think it's an absolutely excellent character trait. I don't mean doing a U-turn in the Nick Clegg kind of way, making a clear promise and then reneging on that promise. I mean in not letting pride get in the way of common sense and simply changing your mind.

Because (unfortunately) I can still remember the Margaret Thatcher era. The woman who perhaps most famously declared 'This lady's not for turning!' She did this as if it was something to be proud of. The Tory blue rinse brigade lapped it up, cheering and waving their wigs in the air with the kind of abandon you would see at an average Hornsea Swingers Club for the over 55's.

This mindset of 'not turning' or not changing your opinion was made in reference perhaps to one particular issue. But Thatcher had that general attitude to life. It was an mindset she wore like a Hells Angel would wear a leather jacket. In other words she wore it as a symbol of who she was. And admittedly I'm going to come across as sexist here but I find this certain aspects of this attitude distinctly feminine.

By that I mean if I was to generalise I find a lot of women, once they've made their mind up about something, that's it. You can argue until you're blue in the face but there is absolutely no way on earth she is going to change her mind. Which is fine. But when you try to show her that her behaviour is irrational. That it is simply not the truth to say black is white, hell will still have to freeze over twice before she evens considers there could be another answer other than her own. Even then she will not change her mind. And if in exasperation you ask this woman the simple question 'Why?' you will probably receive the answer 'Because!' Which apparently means you have to fill in your own answer because at the end of the day it doesn't matter. It's still going to mean no. An actual reason is not necessary.

Men are slightly different. A man may say 'There's absolutely no way in a million years I'm going to do that. Absolutely no way!!' But if you then say 'I'll give you a fiver' you'll receive the answer 'OK I'll do it.' because the man is flexible. Open-minded. Or maybe he's less principled and the lure of a fiver is just too much to resist. But the fact is, in my experience, men are far more flexible and open to changing their minds than women. And this is a character trait I find in politicians something to be applauded rather than derided. So well done David Cameron. Listening to public opinion before making decisions is a good thing.