More women should be representing us

In the old days, or more precisely, from the time of King David in the Hebrew Scriptures (c 1000 BCE) to Queen Anne, whom Dr Johnson saw exercising the royal gift of healing, kings and occasionally queens, represented their people before God, and mediated His grace to their people. King David was promised that his descendants would succeed him if they kept God’s commandments, which they failed to do, and in this country the socalled divine right of kings ended with the execution of Charles I in 1649. After that, it was Parliament’s decision, and at least in the House of Commons, this was by elected representatives of the people.

The question we have to ask now, is how do we get a law-making body which represents us, not those who can effectively buy titles from the ruling party or are senior bishops in a church which only functions in one of the four nations of the United Kingdom?

The be-wigged elderly white males whose portraits adorn the Council Chamber in the Guildhall pose this question in acute form. Even if they did not owe their position directly to profits from the slave trade, they would have benefitted from the blood and sweat of miners in the North Somerset coalfield. We should be looking at the portraits of inspirational women who had connections with Bath and North East Somerset, and improving the organisation of the administration so that it is easier for women to get involved before they start drawing their pensions. Too many women lack the self-confidence to put themselves forward, but care deeply about improving society for everyone’s benefit. If your readers know women who would make good councillors, I hope they will encourage them to stand in May 2023 both at parish and B&NES Council level. We might even have some fresh portraits by then!

Eleanor M Jackson (Cllr)

(Lab. Westfield)