LABOUR STILL USING SEXIST ALL WOMEN SHORTLISTS AND NOW LIBERAL DEMOCRATS SIGN UP TO STOP MEN FROM BEING MP'S

A big theme of the site has been the political disenfranchisement of men through the political process by stopping them from being able to stand as MP's or other candidates. This is down to the invidious all-women shortlists used by the Labour Party (Labour used it 58 times at last year's General Election) and A-lists/quotas and other discriminatory tactics used by the Conservatives (Four of their MEPs are sitting in Brussels solely because they are women).

Only 22% (143 of 650, an improvement from 128 in 2005) MP's are women but that is down to Labour's defeat (few of those 58 got elected and many others who were previously MP's because of all-women shortlists also lost - ex Home Secretary Jacqui Smith being an obvious example). Of course, this is irrelevant to the big battalions from the Fawcett Society, who see anti-female discrimination everywhere - a form of Feminist McCarthyism.

However, it is apparent that Labour are continuing with the practice in:

Dover

Harlow 

Reading West

Worcester (Labour councillor resigns in protest)

Peterborough (plus this from the local elections Peterborough)

Stevenage

Swindon South

Hastings & Rye

Northampton North

Lincoln

Thurrock

Brighton Kemptown

Burton or Redditch

No man in those seats should vote Labour when men have banned from standing.

Now the Liberal Democrats are getting in on the act. They have announced specialist leadership programmes for women only and also want to fiddle the selection process so it is heavily skewed towards women (Guardian). Basically it is an A-List similar to the one adopted by the Conservatives for its 2010 selection round. This is where there were 100 people on the A-List and only they could apply for the best seats and explicitly over 50% on the A-Lists were women.

Rather than try to find out why do not want to stand and whether they are bothered about it, the parties bring in rules to stop men from seeking office on the sole criteria that they are men. This sexism is probably the most serious of all, because men are being prevented from getting into the legislature. That is what is called British democracy these days. 

 Posted by Skimmington

Comments

[John Kimble]

Thanks for the update on this.

One wider point the articles fail to mention is the problem in having such safe seats in the first place. If we had some decent sort of electoral reform (e.g. introducing proportional representation) then there wouldn't be such stupidly safe seats in the first place and all crap MPs would be at risk of losing their seats.

I suppose at least we should be thankful that the Tories and Lib Dems still haven't allowed blatant sexism yet. In fact you do get the feeling that the Lib Dem grassroots are really against this and rather better than their representatives in Parliament. (not only have Lib Dem conferences blocked All Women shortlists, but that's where the proposed policy on rape anonymity came from too)

Finally, I'd also suggest the Labour MPs who really need voting out are the ones who promote this sexism in the first place. It's true we shouldn't' vote Labour in the above seats, but those standing in such areas aren't necessarily the real villains here.

[John Wallace]

It doesn't matter that there are 'only' 22% women MPs because there is a MINISTER FOR WOMEN devoted to all women!!! So women's views and needs are being met. We need to keep pressing this point - increase in female MPs = removal of Minister for Women OR introduction of Minister for Men (please!). Every time they say that women are not represented in enough numbers in government, we must remind them of the Minister for Women role. What would be alarming is if they increase female MPs AND keep the Minister for Women role. How would that be fair?!

[Jenny]

All women shortlists are demeaning to women, we're quite capable of being selected on our own merit. I wouldn't vote for any candidate whose own constituency party wouldn't propose if it were given a free choice.

[instant bad credit loans]

Well, sexism is still a part of our society. It's been handed down through traditions and cultures. We should do something about this.

[Groan]

The failed bid on electoral reform may not seem linked but the map reproduced in the Daily Mail is revealing. I bet the few constituencies that went for AV are not only the core of the political class but also correspond to the membership of the Fawcett Society etc. We are ruled by a narrow social group full of " progressive" ideas at odds with the general population. In some ways it's a bit reasuring looking at the map. It means the elite can be beat.

[McintyreLois20]

Cars and houses are expensive and not every person can buy it. However, credit loans was created to aid people in such kind of cases.