Men on the left, women on the right. Is that what you call equality, Ed?
IT’S the Labour Party rally that appears to enshrine sexual segregation.
With women sat on one side and men on the other, the event in Birmingham has proved an embarrassment for the party and caused disquiet among some senior figures.
An official statement f rom Labour insisted there was ‘ no forced segregation’ and that both sexes were ‘treated equally and respectfully’.
However, health spokesman Andy Burnham admitted he was uncomfortable with the gender split – while critics of Labour accused candidates of hypocrisy for taking part in such an event and yet espousing equality.
Mr Burnham told the BBC: ‘We would want everybody to be taking part in this election on an equal basis with no segregation so I don’t know the reasons why the room was organised in that way. It is also right that politicians address all audiences and go to all places as part of the election campaign.
‘I don’t like the idea of segregation, I don’t think it should happen, it should be a completely mixed audience, but you would obviously have to ask the organisers of that event as to why it was done in that way.’
Senior party figures – including Harriet Harman’s husband, Jack Dromey – spoke at the event. It was advertised as a ‘Labour party jalsa/rally’ in the Diamond Suite, a venue two miles outside the city centre.
The event was first reported by Andrew Pierce in Monday’s Daily Mail. It was organised by Labour councillor Ansar Ali Khan. A leaflet for the rally adds that councillor Miriam Khan is organising a
‘Selling their values’
‘ women’s section f or j alsa’. Among those on the panel were Tom Watson, Liam Byrne and Mr Dromey – t he husband of Labour’s deputy l eader and ardent feminist Miss Harman.
Yesterday Andrew Bridgen, Tory candidate in North West
Leicestershire, said: ‘ On the one hand, Labour is preaching about feminism and equality for women, and on the other they are happy with a segregated audience.
‘This shows Labour talking out of both sides of its mouth – as usual.’
Julian Smith, another Tory candidate, said: ‘ Labour are completely desperate. They are selling their values in exchange for a few votes.’
Ukip leader Nigel Farage said such segregation had ‘no place in modern civilised Britain’. He added: ‘I want to know from the Labour Party, how in the name of your party can you have allowed that to have happened?’
A Labour spokesman insisted: ‘There was no forced segregation. Speakers at the event included both women and men. Everyone was together in one room and all were treated equally and respectfully.’ One Labour figure told the Birmingham Mail that the seating arrangements ensured that women from the city’s Muslim communities were able to take part.
Labour MPs and candidates have previously turned down requests to speak at events due to be attended by a l argely Muslim audience because only men were invited.
One Labour figure who was at the event was Khalid Mahmood, the party’s candidate in Birmingham Perry Bar. He has spoken out against the alleged Trojan Horse plot in 12 of Birmingham’s schools, including allegations of gender segregation, but was centre stage at Saturday’s event.
He said those at the rally mixed afterwards and took ‘selfies’ together. ‘I was happy to support the event,’ he said. ‘It wasn’t as segregated as people are making out.’