All-Women Shortlists

The Western Mail have published an article today regarding all-women shortlists and our sitting MP was, of course, selected via an all-woman shortlist.

WALES has a record number of women MPs because of all-women shortlists, the Equal Opportunities Commission said yesterday.

Kate Bennett, the commission's Wales director, said, "The number of women MPs elected from Wales has doubled - largely thanks to women-only shortlists. This is a powerful example of the need for positive action and clear evidence of the impact it can have.

"It's astonishing that even though 36 of Wales' 40 MPs in the last Parliament were men, some people were reluctant to address this by measures such as women-only shortlists."

A row over all-women shortlists cost Labour its safest Welsh seat, Blaenau Gwent, and its majority in the National Assembly, when AM Peter Law quit the party and won the parliamentary seat as an independent.
Of Wales' eight women MPs:

one was selected on an open shortlist prior to 1997 - Ann Clwyd, Labour;

two were selected on all-women shortlists in 1997 - Julie Morgan and Betty Williams, both Labour;

three were selected on all-women shortlists in 2004/05 - Nia Griffith, Sian James and Jessica Morden, all Labour;

and two were selected on open shortlists in 2004/05 - Madeline Moon, Labour, and Jenny Willott, Liberal Democrat.

All-Women Shortlists Work
Equal Opportunities Commission
Centre for Advancement of Women in Politics