Thursday:
The Crown Persecution Service have announced that they're to make an announcement about the case of Mr Huhney-Monster, and ALREADY the SPECULATION has started on who's going to succeed him assuming he has to do the walk of SHAME.
We love Mr Ed. We love Mr David Outlaws. But if –I only say IF – this IS the end of the road for the Huhney-Monster, then couldn't we at least PRETEND to consider one of the EXCELLENT candidates of the LADY persuasion?
Sparkling Ms Lynne Featherweight; lovely Sarah Teather; could it even be time for Ms Jo Winsome? (Yes, that's a BIG jump straight to cabinet but, you know… Jo WINSOME!)
Let's be CLEAR: these three are NO ONE's TOKEN woman. Yes, it would be HUGELY helpful to have one (or MORE!) of them in the Cabinet as a role model and to show how SERIOUSLY we take promoting women within the party. BUT by ANYONE'S reckoning, they are ALL among the BEST and BRIGHTEST that the Party has to offer, regardless of whereabouts they keep their reproductive organs!
Ms Lynne, Queen of the Lib Dem Blog-o-sphere, is surely the BEST candidate. She's carved out a HUGE role in the Home Office, demonstrating the ability to drive through the LIBERAL agenda, and even persuading Ms Teresa May-Not of the case for diversity and equality.
Lovely Sarah is the me-sized dynamo who has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to hold her Brent seat against insane odds (up to and including her own sense of humour), who has ALSO been key to delivery of the Liberal Democrat manifesto pledge on the PUPIL PREMIUM.
And as for tireless campaigner Jo Winsome… ANYONE who has met her will tell you she's AWESOME, an absolute star, destined for great things, and – so long as Scotland doesn't do anything DAFT like wandering off towards independence – a sure bet for future leadership. She's also a mate of my Daddies, so not at all biased there!
Anyway, they're all TOP MPs.
So COME ON, Cap'n Clegg! Do the RIGHT THING and increase our Cabinet Gender-balance by INFINITY PERCENT!
'Cos sometimes, only a woman will do.
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Showing posts with label women. Show all posts
Showing posts with label women. Show all posts
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Monday, October 04, 2010
Day 3563: Are Quotas Hurting Women's Chances?
Sunday:
While we were out in Tower Hamlets yesterday, we met up with Helen Duffett. Of course we did. She's everywhere in London, these days, from Romford in the General Election to Westminster and Kentish Town by-elections, to Pizza and Politics in Islington to caseworking in Hornsey and Wood Green, everyone knows Helen and knows she is a popular and tireless campaigner.
So why's she not standing for the London Assembly list, we ask?
Well, if the first two places on the list are DEAD CERTS to be women then the RULES mean that a MAN has to come THIRD.
And the first two places on the list ARE dead certs to be women: there's Ms Caroline Pigeon who is already ON the Assembly, so she's bound to get FIRST place on the list, and then there's Ms Bridget Fox who was terribly, terribly good in Islington and will probably be SECOND on the list…
In fact, if I understand these rules right, it could be even worse because if the highest placed man is NOT Black or Asian or other Minority, then the new rules mean that a Black or Asian or other Minority person has to get the FOURTH place.
In other words even if everyone is telling you you are the at least THIRD best candidate for London (who just happens to be a woman) then the best you can hope to be is FIFTH on the list and we AIN'T going to get FIVE GLA members, are we.
As outcomes go, this to me appears WILFULLY PERVERSE.
We seem to be actively putting off one of our best campaigners from standing by making it impossible for her to win.
And anyway aren't we the party that from Ms Jo Winsome on down says "I'm as good as any white/straight/middle-aged/middle-class man so you can take your patronising affirmative action and stuff it up your quota!"
.
While we were out in Tower Hamlets yesterday, we met up with Helen Duffett. Of course we did. She's everywhere in London, these days, from Romford in the General Election to Westminster and Kentish Town by-elections, to Pizza and Politics in Islington to caseworking in Hornsey and Wood Green, everyone knows Helen and knows she is a popular and tireless campaigner.
So why's she not standing for the London Assembly list, we ask?
Well, if the first two places on the list are DEAD CERTS to be women then the RULES mean that a MAN has to come THIRD.
And the first two places on the list ARE dead certs to be women: there's Ms Caroline Pigeon who is already ON the Assembly, so she's bound to get FIRST place on the list, and then there's Ms Bridget Fox who was terribly, terribly good in Islington and will probably be SECOND on the list…
In fact, if I understand these rules right, it could be even worse because if the highest placed man is NOT Black or Asian or other Minority, then the new rules mean that a Black or Asian or other Minority person has to get the FOURTH place.
In other words even if everyone is telling you you are the at least THIRD best candidate for London (who just happens to be a woman) then the best you can hope to be is FIFTH on the list and we AIN'T going to get FIVE GLA members, are we.
As outcomes go, this to me appears WILFULLY PERVERSE.
We seem to be actively putting off one of our best campaigners from standing by making it impossible for her to win.
And anyway aren't we the party that from Ms Jo Winsome on down says "I'm as good as any white/straight/middle-aged/middle-class man so you can take your patronising affirmative action and stuff it up your quota!"
.
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