Cathy Dobbs: Saluting Rishi in the gender wars

It shows what a mixed-up world we are living in when Rishi Sunak is seen as brave because he’s declared that women do not have penises.

Something that would have had you laughed out of the pub a few years ago, has now become one of the most contentious issues in the Western world.

It’s an issue that has seen Nicola Sturgeon go from hero to zero and could do the same for Kier Starmer.

What we needed was a dose of common sense and, at last, it’s come from the Conservative Party. We’ve waited too long to get some straight talking from this party that has been doing a bit too much of the wokey-cokey – thank goodness for Rishi.

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Lose weight and you are often treated like you’ve won an Oscar. Friends pat you on the back, colleagues want to know how you did it and family practically toast to your success at dinner time.

However, a new study shows that when you are older, carrying a bit of extra weight could help you live longer.

Men come out the worst in the study as those aged over 65 that lost more than 10 per cent of their weight had a 289 per cent higher mortality risk. The same study showed that weight gain, on the other hand, didn’t have any effect on longevity.

We all know that weight loss in older adults can often be linked to underlying conditions such as diabetes or dementia, so there is a good chance this has skewed the results.

However, to be on the safe side if you are going to lose weight, do it before you retire. And if you’re over 65 maybe think about getting a loyalty app for Greggs, McDonald's or Domino's – your body will thank you.

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It’s not the most glamorous of subjects, but I’d bet there isn’t a single driver out there that hasn’t got pothole fury.

Last week my son was in holiday club and it involved driving down a country lane, that has become a popular rabbit run thanks to HS2 road closures.

The potholes down this lane are so big that cars have to take turns pulling out into the middle of the road to get around them.

Pothole fury is something, it seems, that no-one is exempt from.

Last week actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger picked up a shovel and filled in an enormous pothole near his home in Los Angeles. This time last year singer Rod Stewart filled in potholes near his home in Harlow, Essex.

Maybe the rich and famous can get away with it, but I think if any of us started repairing council-owned roads we may find we’ve dug ourselves into a legal hole that’s difficult to get out of.