More Women MPs
Women should be encourgaed to beome MPs. But I find the reasoning that some people employ to argue for them idiotic.
Commons Speaker Michael Martin is to hold a conference aimed at finding a way to ensure more women and people from ethnic minorities become MPs.
He said he would try to end “disparity” between society and Parliament.
Currently about one in five MPs is a woman, compared with approximately half the population. (BBC)
Parliament is not a reflection of society. MPs are not delegates. They are representatives. As such, that there is only 125 female MPs out of 646 is not an issue in and of itself.
The issue is only that women appear find it harder to get into Parliament. And this something for the parties to resolve internally - but it also perfectly possible that this lower number is simply down to a smaller number of women who want to become MPs.
Women should be encouraged to become MPs, but candidates should all be evaluated on the same basis - equality is essential. Gender should not make any difference. After all, if Parliament is meant to be entirely representative of society, why do we vote at all and not just pick people by lot?
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Good! That is the right assessment. Merit and ability should be the main criteria, not incidentals such as gender, when selecting. We are selecting our PPC this coming weekend, and are compelled t have at least 50% female at all stages until the final candidate is selected.
I have never liked that, while understanding the concept behind it; and I daresay it will have resulted in early disappointment for a number of good male candidates throughout the country.
Anyway, we started off with over 130 applicants, sifted those down to twenty, we are now down to ten, who will then be further reduced to four at this “Big Event”, and then the Executive will select one — both to be done this coming Sunday. I haven’t been involved so far, but will in both the final stages.
We are committed to choosing the best person we can identify, gender (or whatever) notwithstanding, and that’s how it should be. I just wish it were an unfettered process throughout.