Where ARE all the "promised" Women MPs?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dawn Barnes on May 21, 2010 at 8:50

I think you're being unfair. 40% of our "winnable" seats had female PPCs in place but, unfortunately, the wins didn't come through, in fact quite the reverse, we lost seats. We put women in place but the vote didn't result in their election, we can't force people to vote how we want them to.

What can we do? Carry on as we are, encourage women to go for approval and stand until they get elected. Support each other and get out there to spread the word. Women need to put themselves forward in the first place and be selected on merit, as many were, and then work hard to try to win a seat, which may or may not work out. Personally, I do not like A lists and other such oxymoronic positive discrimination to get women/black/young/disabled candidates in place and I think we have it right, it will take time and patience but let's not belittle our women and other 'minority' candidates by giving them preferential treatment.

Finally, I was the only female in a field of ten candidates in Witney. A woman stopped to talk to me outside one of the polling stations after she had voted and told me she would have voted for me but she wanted more women in parliament so she voted Labour (for a man in this case)! She would vote Lib Dem if we favoured female candidates over male and Labour had done a good job of this over the years. Frankly, being described as "Blair's babes" doesn't strike me as great step forward in the equality stakes.

Permalink Reply by Rebekah Gronowski on May 21, 2010 at 9:38

Thank you for your helpful comments. I am sorry that you did not get elected, it was rather short-sighted and hypocritical of the woman who spoke to you and did not vote for a woman.

I do think, however, you have to agree that the situation is not good within the Party. We are dominated by men and they seem to be the only ones (apart from very few) who do get elected. As I have posted elsewhere, much depends upon your own Local Party as to whether or not we are even selected when approved let alone elected. Some of us do put ourselves forward but if the members of the Local Party do not happen to like you for whatever reason, they are not going to support your approval or selection.

I am not in favour of A lists either and believe in ability being the qualification for office as an MP - the best person for the job - and I am in no way trying to belittle any of our women candidates at all. I don't think we have it right at all in the Party, so I have to disagree with you on that one.

You mention certain groups - we have not one disabled candidate at all, anywhere, and that is an indictment on our Party. OK, we do have many women candidates, many young candidates, a few black/ethnic minority candidates but I do think that our Party is male dominated - even though we do have a woman President in Ros Scott.

You suggest that we are patient - for how long? For some of us, time is not on our side.

If not now, when?

Permalink Reply by Rebekah Gronowski on May 21, 2010 at 11:09

See Lynne Featherstone -

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/may/14/equalities-minister-...

and this -

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/apr/30/liberal-democrats-la...

Permalink Reply by Rebekah Gronowski on May 21, 2010 at 11:13

If anyone would care to take part in a survey on women in the Liberal Democrats at Local, Regional, Party and Parliamentary level (which will be anonymous and statistical only) please get in touch with me using the Inbox & Messaging facility on ACT. You will not be identified and no personal information disclosed. I am conducting this from a personal interst only and it is not sponsored by anyone else. I am interested in your views and experiences. Thanks.

Permalink Reply by Kirsten de Keyser on May 21, 2010 at 16:14

As a matter of interest are there any figures anywhere for how we're doing for women candidates at council level?

Permalink Reply by Rebekah Gronowski on May 21, 2010 at 17:18

Thanks for raising this Kirsten. That is exactly what I am trying to find out. I started on this earlier in the day but it will take me some time to get figures and to put them together. This is why I am asking for anyone who wishes to do so to contribute any information or personal experiences which they have had when attempting to be put forward to represent us at all levels, Council as well as Parliamentary.

Permalink Reply by Rebekah Gronowski on May 22, 2010 at 6:47

Here is a list of our Women MPs as of 6th May 2010

Jo Swinson
Lynne Featherstone
Annette Brooke
Lorely Burt
Tessa Munt
Sarah Teather
Jenny Willott

I am pleased for all these MPs and so sorry that we lost two of our best ones.

I agree with Patricia - we have to start being impatient and the time is now before the next General Election in 5 years time. We need to make sure that Local Parties start to look amongst their Women Members to see who will make good candidates. Too many Local Parties are looking outside of their own Members and bringing in people who are not within their Local Party.

When these women have been identified they need to be encouraged to stand and offered the best possible help and opportunities for the necessary skills-building which will enable them to be confident and effective MPs.

There are too many women being sidelined by people within their own Local Parties who have too much power on their Executives - in some instances there are women within a Local Party who have insisted on standing themselves and making sure that no-one else gets a look in. When they are not elected, they stand time after time and don't let anyone else have a try, even when they lose votes for our Party at each Election because the voters will not vote for them. I know of instances where a persistent woman would-be candidate has 'seen off' another woman Local Party Member who would have been an excellent MP at a Hustings by using local 'lobbying' of Members to make sure that she was selected. Another woman was ousted by local 'lobbying' by men in her Local Party to make sure that she was not chosen at a Hustings but a man was selected instead.

Some Local Parties have a lot to answer for and is the reason why so many of our very good, capable women have not even made it through the selection process en route.

It is a sorry state of affairs when a good Local Party Member has to go to another Constituency (even another country) in order to be given an opportunity to stand for Parliament because of the intransigence of certain Members of their own Local Party.

Permalink Reply by Rebekah Gronowski on May 22, 2010 at 19:29

Good for you Patricia, you go for it! I wish you well and hope that you have a good Local Party which will support you. I would be so delighted if you did put yourself forward! Go Girl!!! ;~)

Permalink Reply by Salim Mamdani on July 18, 2010 at 21:05

I think Rebekah was asking: Where ARE all the "promised" Women MPs ? I think she meant from the "promised land". Am I right, Rebekah ? lol !

Permalink Reply by Rebekah Gronowski on July 19, 2010 at 0:58

Perhaps I did not put my question as clearly as I might have done. I love your comment, Salim, and note its significance ;~)

I suppose I am frustrated by the fact that, during campaigning and in the run-up to the General Election, Nick Clegg "promised" us a better balance in the new representation in Parliament between men and women and between white and black/ethnic minority groups. So far, I can see no evidence of this having happened - can anyone else? We still have the usual line-up and, to be quite honest, our Liberal Democrat Members of the Cabinet are barely distinguishable from the Conservative ones. Many of them are beginning to look like clones of each other and it is hard to tell them all apart.

Whilst on the subject - I am very concerned at the latest weekly email to Members from Nick Clegg in which he refers to a "Liberal Government" - we are Liberal Democrats not plain Liberals and Nick really needs to remember that. The "Democrat" is an essential part of our ethos! We do not want our Party watered down or dumbed down to fit in with the Conservatives whom, I am sure, would like to completely absorb us until we are each indistinguishable from each other.

As for no disabled members representing us - this is really a black mark against our Party!

Just my random thoughts from a rather cynical viewpoint from where I am sitting..............

Permalink Reply by Salim Mamdani on July 19, 2010 at 2:48

The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community and in which no-one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity. We cannot afford to be unfair to anyone regardless of sex, age, or ethinic origin, including disabled people ! The government should be a true representation of the people, who must have at heart the interest of all people including the less fortunate, the vunerable, the sick & disabled and all the rest. The sick and disabled are looked after by doctors and medical staff, so they are represented by Department of Health. On the question of money and benefits, that's a separate issue - so, it is dealt with by a different department. When you say that we have "no disabled members representing us" - Do you mean on the Health issue ? or Do you mean on the Benefits issue ? We should have someone to cover the whole spectrum. Nobody should be made to suffer unnecessarily or to discriminate against them because of their disability ! You have as much right to stand as an MP, Rebekah as anyone else, if you seriously believe that you wish to represent the disabled people and make a difference. I would support you and you would be fair to all, including the "chosen ones" like me, wouldn't you ? lol !

Permalink Reply by Rebekah Gronowski on July 19, 2010 at 7:04

Thank you for this, Salim. If I were to stand for Parliament I would represent all of my constituents on all the issues which concern them. As a disabled person I would obviously wish to represent all the needs and concerns of my fellow disabled people, whatever these issues are, and not just limit it to particular issues.

I think, though, that my point is actual representation in the Parliament by a disabled person - the only such person of whom I know in the House of Commons is Ann Begg who is not in our Party but who is a wheelchair-user like myself. For one thing, I get really angry on her behalf because the H of C has not found a way of her being present with her fellow Party Members in the benches - she has to sit at the back of the House in the aisle which is a very undignified position for her to be forced to take. (It does have an "up" side - she can see everything which is going on). Where are there any wheelchair-users among the Lib Dem ranks? There are none that I know of.

You quite rightly quote the Pre-amble to our own Lib Dem Constitution. I frequently refer many of my fellow members to this because the reality in some Local Parties is that these words appear to have no influence on their decisions, their thinking or their policies. Many of our Members (to our shame) do not treat others equally but seek to marginalise them - I know, because this has happened to me. The problem is that it is not overt - it is very subtle. Too often (certainly in the past) my access needs have been either ignored, left until last as an issue or have been deliberately discounted, this denying me access to events.

Yes, the sick and disabled are looked after by doctors and medical staff but, sadly, we are not really represented in the House of Commons by the Dept of Health. Weare certainly not represented in a favourable way by the Dept of Work and Pensions! I don't know if you have come across The Downing Street Project?

It is here - http://thedowningstreetproject.ning.com/group/mockcabinet - I have joined this group and have suggested that there should be (in an ideal Cabinet) a Secretary of State for Disabilities.

Can you see where I am coming from here? It would be good if a person with disabilities could actually stand in at least one Constituency. Sadly, for me, it is too late now because of my age and state of health, I can no longer work and I would not be able to do justice to the job. I have never been considered by my Local Party for the Approval process as a PPC or a PSPC - I'm come from the "wrong stable" - the nearest I might have got to representing anyone is at Local Council level.

The Pre-amble is a great concept and is as it should be - unfortunately it is not always implemented by some Local Parties.

Thank you, though, for indicating that you would support me if I did stand, that is most encouraging! ;~)

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