Labour rivals back flexible working

The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) and equality campaign group the Fawcett Society said the six candidates had also backed action to increase the number of women and ethnic minority MPs.

Four out of the five candidates who replied to the letter - including Hilary Benn, Hazel Blears, Harriet Harman and Jon Cruddas - supported either extending the right to request flexible working or taking action to remove the stigma, poor pay and poor prospects associated with it.

The same candidates also supported the continued use of all women short -lists to improve the numbers of women in Parliament, while Alan Johnson said he hoped that within the next decade a Labour Government with equal numbers of men and other groups would deem them no longer necessary.

The candidates offered a number of approaches to tackling the pay gap. Mr Cruddas and Ms Harman called for statutory gender pay audits in the private sector, while Mr Benn suggested companies publish differences in pay between men and women in their annual reports, the two groups said.

Jenny Watson, chairwoman of the EOC, said: "Sex equality is moving up the political agenda. Our polling shows that all voters, particularly women, are more likely to vote for parties that have policies to support families.

"David Cameron this week committed the Conservative Party to extending the right to request flexible working to all parents. So it's no surprise to see that the majority of deputy leadership candidates want the Government to do the same - or go even further and offer it to all.

"They know that enabling men and women to better balance work and home is key to the next election."

Katherine Rake, chairwoman of the Fawcett Society, said: "That equality for women is taking such a central role in the deputy leadership election is of course welcome. But once this beauty contest is over, the real test will be what the winning candidate does to really make a difference for women.

"Women's votes were crucial to Labour's success at the last general election. The leadership candidates should make no mistake - they'll be crucial at the next election, and this time the Conservatives know it too."