‘Parties should publish number of women election candidates’
A CROSS-PARTY group of MPs has called for political parties to publish the number of women they put forward for election to end the “diversity deficit” in Parliament.
Several senior politicians signed a letter urging the UK Government to enact Section 106 of the Equality Act (2010) that would ensure parties reported their gender gap among election candidates.
The call comes in the week marking 100 years since women first gained the right to stand for election to the House of Commons.
Since then, there have only been 491 female MPs – just 50 more than the number of men currently sitting in Parliament.
Conservative MP Nicky Morgan, Shadow Equalities Minister Dawn Butler, Green Party MP Caroline Lucas and SNP MP Hannah Bardell were among the politicians to add their name to the letter.
Organisations and individuals including Dr Helen Pankhurst, Centenary Action Group, the Fawcett Society, Women’s Aid and the Electoral Reform Society have all campaigned for Equalities Minister Penny Mordaunt to implement Section 106.
Writing in The Times yesterday, ex-Cabinet Minister Mrs Morgan wrote: “It appears in the economic sphere we might finally be on the long-road to achieving fair pay.
“But for this to last – and to reduce discrimination in all walks of life – there must be political progress too. It would be a fitting way to make the centenary year of some women’s right to vote for this simple change to be made. In fact, it is the least we could do.”
Hannah Bardell MP said: “The SNP are working hard to make politics an attractive destination for women, but we are far from complacent and will continue to support women interested in elected office.
“The SNP are making positive strides in equality amongst elected members in Parliament, with women making up 43 per cent of SNP MSPs.
“More than a third of our MPs are female and Scotland’s first female First Minister is our party leader, Nicola Sturgeon.