The Labour Party has decided to have women-only shortlists in both Brighton parliamentary seats.
Hove will be open to men and women candidates.
The decision was made by the party’s National Executive Committee.
The selection process for all three constituencies is expected to take place over the next couple of months with the timetable still to be decided.
In Brighton Kemptown Nancy Platts is an early favourite, having run Caroline Lucas, the Green MP, close in Brighton Pavilion at the May 2010 general election.
Among her likely rivals will be local party member Caroline Penn.
In Hove the former leader of Brighton and Hove City Council Simon Burgess hopes to win the selection.
He contested Brighton Kemptown in May 2010 when the seat was won by Simon Kirby for the Conservatives.
Mr Burgess, 48, lives in Hove and works for Hamilton Lodge Deaf School in Brighton. He is also the chairman of the Sussex Beacon.
He said: “It’s been lovely taking a couple of years out of local politics, working with local charities.
“But I’ve got more enthusiasm for it now than I’ve had for a good few years.”
The Greens have selected Caroline Lucas to stand again in Brighton Pavilion, public consultation expert Davy Jones to fight Brighton Kemptown and Christopher Hawtree, a local councillor, to contest Hove.
“The decision was made by the party’s National Executive Committee”.. Says it all really doesn’t it..
What it seems to say is that Labour takes seriously the need to increase the representation of women in Parliament.
Martin – I completely agree with you. Men still outnumber women massively in parliament (502 – 146) and yet women make up more than half the population. It therefore needs this kind of action taken by labour to begin to address the historical inequity.
Local Labour parties are consulted on whether they want all women shortlists. It shouldn’t be considered a diktat from the NEC, who have in essence ratified a local decision.
So will all the ladies be local or are they going to parachute in candidates that know little about the city and care only about their party and career?
Candidates should NOT be chosen on any other criteria than their ability and the trust they’ve gained by being part of their community.
Rostrum – so are you thereby inferring that the reason why there are currently more men MPs than women is because women have less “ability” than men and can’t be “trust”ed?
Vodkaman.. I’m saying that Merit is what counts not discrimination.
So-called ‘Positive discrimination’ is still just discrimination. It not a choice on Merit.
By having a sex, color, race or religious etc discrimination is not acceptable because it not based upon Merit.
Vodkaman.. I’m saying that Merit is what counts not discrimination.
So-called ‘Positive discrimination’ is still just discrimination. Its not a choice on Merit.
By having a sex, color, race or religious etc discrimination is not acceptable because it not based upon Merit.
Positive Discrimination is an insult to women. Assumes so inferior they can’t climb up or be entrusted by any other means. Patronising to an extreme and can mean not getting the best candidate for the area…..like when Celia Barlow was chosen from an all-woman list for Hove, triggered in some way by Ivor Caplin’s resignation.
She was not local, had no local connection or history or stake in the area…and the person who SHOULD have had the selection was not a woman….! It was an insult to the residents of Hove to be given someone parachuted in – just because she was a woman. And she was not re-elected.
VP and R – it’s 2013 and there is still a 502 – 146 imbalance. Would you not agree a strategy is needed other than “let’s just leave it to sort itself out”?
Vodkaman. A strategy may be needed but it should not be based upon discrimination.
Rostrum – right it’s thinking caps on then!
Have a good evening.
Vodkaman, isn’t it the case that more men than woman want to be in politics? Isn’t that why more of them hold political office? Men and women share some ambitions, but not all the same ones all the time.
Hi Valerie
Yes I think you’re right. I’m interested to know why that is…biology? genetics? Or historically entrenched societal oppression fuelling the unquestioning repetition of a centuries old patriarchy?
I think feminists should give women a break, Vodkaman! And some credit for being able to hold their own without resort to blaming “historically entrenched societal oppression fuelling” some kind of “unquestioning repetition of a centuries old patriarchy”. Some societies are quite notably and powerfully matriarchal, dontchaknow.
Yeah there is habit and button pushing, but well beyond just patriarchy….and feminists work the unquestioning repetition of a decades old feminist rut, thereby digging trenches to hide in.