This satirical column critiques MP Samantha Niblett — Labour representative for South Derbyshire since 2024 — for making sexual issues a prominent part of her public persona, including proposing a "summer of sex" and a dildo exhibition in Parliament. An Instagram video in which she criticised access rules for trans women drew attention both for its content and for her informal presentation while reclining on a sun lounger. The piece also highlights concerns after the Metropolitan Police acknowledged it should not have investigated a reporter probing questions about Jason Arday, stressing the tension between protecting individuals' welfare and defending press freedom.
Is This Britain’s Most Absurd MP? Samantha Niblett’s Theatrics and the Price of Political Performance
There's one type of sex Miss Niblett isn't so keen on: biological sex - Belinda Jiao
A visitor from fifty years ago would likely stare in disbelief at the behaviour of many contemporary MPs. One figure currently attracting attention is Samantha Niblett, the Labour MP for South Derbyshire since 2024, who has been widely criticised for making sex and sexual culture a recurring focus of her parliamentary profile.
In April she urged the country to enjoy a "summer of sex" and even called on Parliament to host an exhibition of dildos to promote the campaign — proposals that left some constituents and commentators bemused.
Her approach has been theatrical. In an Instagram video that drew further attention, she angrily complained about new rules around access to female toilets and changing rooms for trans women, referring in the clip to "biological males" being barred from female spaces. The footage was notable not just for its message but for its presentation: she delivered the monologue while reclining on a sun lounger wearing very large sunglasses.
Supporters will say Miss Niblett is campaigning on issues she cares about. Her critics argue that an MP addressing sensitive subjects might choose a more statesmanlike setting and tone. The contrast with the more reserved public personas of past senior figures — famously exemplified by the likes of Geoffrey Howe or Margaret Thatcher — is one reason the episode has provoked comment.
A still from Miss Niblett's video
"Pleased to meet you, Mrs Smith. What can I help you with? A free leaflet on BDSM? Twenty sizzling ways to please your partner?"
The columnist’s imagined exchange with a constituent — who only wants to report fly-tipping — is an attempt at satire that underlines a wider point: many voters say they care more about local services and taxation than national cultural stunts.
In a separate thread of coverage, the resignation of Jason Arday was reported with heavy satire in this piece: jokes about multiple improbable titles and honours were used to underline the tone. More seriously, Sir Mark Rowley, head of the Metropolitan Police, accepted that his force should not have investigated a reporter who was asking questions about Mr Arday. Jack Grove of Times Higher Education reported that an officer told him to stop asking because the questioning was "affecting his mental health." Rowley’s admission raised concerns about press freedom and the practical implications of policing enquiries.
Critics argue that if police routinely tell journalists or the public not to ask awkward questions on the grounds of a subject's distress, that line of reasoning could be used by suspects to frustrate investigations. The dispute highlights a difficult balance between protecting individuals' welfare and safeguarding the role of the press in holding people — and institutions — to account.
Way Of The World is a twice-weekly satirical column that lampoons headlines and the absurdities of modern life. It appears at 6am every Tuesday and Saturday.
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