Morning:
14°c
Tories 'need more top women'
Nicholas Cecil28.04.09
Pressure to appoint more women to the Conservative Party's top team was growing today.
Just four of the 32-strong shadow Cabinet are female, with three other women in the Lords also being members.
David Cameron has pledged to tackle the under-representation of women but failed to give jobs to rising stars Justine Greening and Maria Miller in his last reshuffle, while Caroline Spelman, who faced controversy over her expenses, was demoted as party chairman to shadow communities secretary.
The big portfolios are all held by men and his closest advisers are all male. One leading female Tory parliamentary candidate told The Times: "The fact that there are not more women in the inner circle inevitably affects policy. It's deeply worrying." However one party insider argued that senior Tory women were still struggling to make their mark at the top level.
Shadow work and pensions secretary Theresa May was described as "mechanical" and shadow security minister Baroness Neville-Jones and shadow community cohesion minister Baroness Warsi were said to have not met the expectations.
Reader views (8)
If more women Tories result in a similar government to the present one it would be a disaster. The present females in government have done more harm than good in the cause of the furtherment of women in politics (and in general). It is painfully obvious they were promoted beyond their capabilities for PC reasons. Please no more of the same!!!
- John, Andover England
Positive discrimination will result in bringing in people like Jowell, Smith and the similar. Only best man or woman wins.
- Pt, London
Look at the Labour "sisterhood"! Are they what the Torys should emulate? For goodness sake pick the best people for the job regardless of gender. I should also like to point out that all the top Conservatives are not old Etonians- I believe William Hague and Ken Clarke even things out nicely.
- Anne, Leyburn England
Presumably David Cameron doesn`t agree with HARMANization - that is, he will decide that the best PEOPLE for governmental posts will be based on their ABILITY rather than their ANATOMY?
- Darius Midwinter, London UK
Couldn't agree more. Quotas are ridiculous and demeaning; if you are "good enough" or possibly "better than" then you deserve the job and should not be overlooked. Nobody should be given a job just because it fits into a quota ............
If you have any pride (and most have) winning a job this way would not be satisfying.
- Hiw, London, London
Who says so? Forget trying to be equal and PC you only have to see what a mess the current group of females have caused. Best person for the job is all I ask not someone trying to prove equality for if you do then you are no better than Blair & Brown cock up.
- Mike, London England
Hear Hear Maire. The only pressure to appoint more women is coming from the female harpies of the Labour Party. The current make-up of the Shadow Cabinet is going to ensure a landslide so leave it alone.
- Anna Mctavish, Beckenham UK
Mr Cameron - please ignore the politically correct brigade. Look at the mess "Blair's Babes" made of their jobs. Mad Hattie Harperson, "Jackboots" Jacqui Smith, need I go on? Get the best person for the job regardless of gender, colour or creed. That way perhaps you might, just might, be able to clear up the mess you are going to inherit.
- Maire, London
