Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Counting Women In campaign: holding David Cameron to his word

As a member of the Management Board of 'Unlock Democracy', I thought that I should take this opportunity to endorse the Counting Women In campaign, and ask you to help, by signing the e-petition calling on David Cameron to keep his word. He pledged that, by the end of his first administration, one-third of his ministers would be women., i.e. there would be at least forty female ministers out of one hundred and nineteen, as there presently are. And I think that he needs to be held to that.

In fairness, it isn't just about the Conservatives, it's about the Liberal Democrats too, and young Mr Clegg needs to do rather better, having failed to appoint a woman to the Cabinet. Now, before anyone gets too excited, and points out my rather glaring conflict of interest, let me be the first to say that I'm not demanding a job for Ros. It is for others to decide whether or not that comes to pass.

But, in principle, I share the view that having a more diverse politics makes for better, more representative, more inclusive politics. And, at a time when the public feel more remote from those who supposedly represent them than ever before, drawing talent from a bigger pool might reconcile the two sides.

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