Respe
cted political writer Peter Oborne asks the same question I did recently, and echoes the same thoughts: Whatever happened to female politicians in this election?
Writing in The Mail, he describes this as “the most sexist general election since the 1950s”. This is what he wrote:
Never in British political history have leaders’ wives played the dominant role they now enjoy. Samantha Cameron has become a star attraction for the Tories, while Gordon Brown goes nowhere without his wife, Sarah.
In sharp contrast, frontline female politicians have been frozen out. The Labour top team is an all-male affair, with deputy leader Harriet Harman ruthlessly sidelined by Peter Mandelson. Meanwhile, Welfare Secretary Yvette Cooper complains that she has been reduced to second-division status.
It is the same with the Tories. There is not one woman in the Conservative election A-team, with shadow ministers such as Baroness Warsi and Caroline Spelman reduced to little better than token appearances. The LibDems aren’t much better.
Although women are supposed to have achieved equality, this is the most sexist general election since the 1950s, when Margaret Thatcher couldn’t get selected to fight a seat because male chauvinism dictated that women were supposed to be seen and not heard.
As you pointed out, the women have to go to mags like Grazie to get publicity. Shame on the HoC!
This election has surely become the worse show in town !
The televised debate is like an episode of ” Britians got talent ”
I heard the best one on Radio 4 as they were interviewing a ” floating voter ” he actually said ” well Nick Clegg seems a bit different and so I think I will be voting for his party ”
Never mind the policies feel the sincerity !
Didn’t more people vote for Big Brother than Labour in the last election?
Why don’t we ‘progress’ to a competition like that in ‘The Running Man’?
Can you imagine Gordo in Lycra? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9uxAhCnkMY
Dont give Mandy ideas Philipa .
I read in the paper today that Mandy has the “poshest” voice!
The leaders still have a massive hill to conquer to show sincerity yet toughness, leadership yet empathy, and appeal to so many different audiences.
I don’t think Mandy needs encouragement from me to dream of PMs in lycra, Ellee.
Eew!