Cameron ups the efforts for female MPs
David Cameron has insisted he is “deadly serious” about making the Conservative party more diverse, as he unveiled further changes to the way candidates are selected.
Acknowledging that attempts to increase the number of female candidates have not worked, the Tory leader announced plans for at least half of all candidates on the final shortlist to be women, and for a changed role for the party rank and file.
“We need to go further, and we need to go faster. So we are taking further steps today to increase the number of women candidates,” he said.
“I want to see more women candidates selected, and I want to see them selected on merit – through a proper, professional process that accurately assesses all the skills needed to be a successful MP in the 21st century.”
One of Mr Cameron’s first acts after being elected leader was to introduce an A-list of priority candidates, of whom half were women and ten per cent from ethnic minorities, from which local Conservative associations would be encouraged to choose a candidate.
He argued the changes were necessary to end the “scandalous” under-representation of women in the party – just 17 of their 196 MPs are female, and only two are not white.
However, since he took over, just seven (32 per cent) of the 22 candidates selected have been women and two (nine per cent) have been black and ethnic minorities.
Today Mr Cameron welcomed the fact that the proportion of female candidates was now higher than the proportion of MPs, but said further change was needed.
Among today’s reforms – which will be reviewed at the end of the year – is for the A-list, to be expanded to include 60 per cent women, up from 50 per cent previously.
And from now on, local Conservative associations will be presented with three possible options to choose a candidate – to hold a US-style primary; for the party membership to choose a shortlist; or for associations to adopt all-women shortlists.
Under one plan, the membership would choose a shortlist of four, of whom at least two would be women, and the executive committee would make the final decision. Mr Cameron insisted this did not mean excluding the rank and file members.
Another option would see an association adopt an all-women shortlist although the Tory leader made clear it would be a “step too far” to impose this where it was not wanted.
“The problem with that is you are denying the ultimate choice for the constituency. We want to make progress in this issue, but we don’t want to take that step today,” he said.
The changes are likely to be resisted among many Conservative associations, and one Tory MP has already expressed concern about the all-women shortlists.
“It fills me with horror to think that after the next general election, people who meet me may think that I was selected in an undemocratic manner from an all female short-list,” said Nadine Dorries, MP for Mid Bedfordshire.
However, Mr Cameron made clear he intends to fulfil his pledge to change the face of the Conservative party regardless of the opposition.
“I am deadly serious about this agenda – it really matters for the future of our party, and for the future of our democracy. If we explain how important it is, I’m sure our constituency associations will follow,” he said.
