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Liberal Democrat equalities champion Lynne Featherstone was today set to attack the male bias in politics and the City.
The MP for Hornsey & Wood Green was due to tell delegates that pupils at a local school she visited were asked to picture an MP and nearly all drew a "male and pale" individual.
She said that 80 per cent of MPs and 88 per cent of FTSE-100 company directors were men. "I love men," she was due to add. "I've consulted with them, consorted and even cavorted with them, but they are not the only answer."
She was set to call for mandatory pay audits and for job applications to carry no names to tackle discrimination.
Reader views (14)
The reason school children see MP's as male and pale, is simply because it's mostly male and pale people who CHOOSE to do the job. Women CHOOSE to not become MP's or electable by continually making everything a gender issue.
Hate her or love her, Thatcher has shown that there are no barriers for women who want to make it in politics.
If you asked school children to describe a plumber, a garbage disposal worker, a road maintenance worker, and an oil rig worker, they would also describe male and pale, because it's mostly male and pale who CHOOSE to do those dirty/dangerous jobs, funny how we never hear a so-called feminist demanding a 50/50 split of genders in those jobs.
Once again a woman highlights the fact, unintentionally of course, that women need to pull their thumbs out their rears if they want to make it, instead of pissing and moaning about what they've never strived for.
- Omar Little, Glasgow, Scotland
Oh dear, I see the boys on here have gotten themselves really upset about this woman for daring to suggest our country is still steeped in sexism & racism. Poor poppets.
I do think these (white?) men, doth protest a little too much.
LOL
- Carrie, London, UK
Sorry Featherstone, hairy Harperson got there before you. Nothing original.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
Amazingly, no one cares that 90% of school teachers are female. These are the people who really affect our children.
No one seems to mind that. Oh wait, when it's women on top - feminists are happy - so much for 'equality'.
More like a selective equality.
- Karl, Worcs, England
A little lesson in civics for Loudmouth Lynne is obviously called for.
You only get to be an MP by being voted into that office by the electorate. And women represent the majority of the electorate (by virtue of their privilege in living longer than men, because men do all the dangerous jobs and receive poor health care, while women do the safe jobs and get the best health care). So if the majority of MPs are "male and pale", it is because WOMEN HAVE CHOSEN TO MAKE IT THAT WAY.
But there is nothing like a wild and totally unsubstantiated charge of "discrimination" to keep bigots like Lynne happily wallowing in their faux victimhood, is there?
- Paul Parmenter, Norfolk UK
Nolan, Londonist - what on Earth has your comment got to do with what Jon, london said? If you have agenda driven comments to make, man up and make them. What part of, "Just get the best people" was so objectionable?
- Rogan, Irving
Have you forgotten that 50% of the population is female Jon?
- Nolan, Londonist
Maxine.
On her soapbox and on a mission.This isn't the issue at all.
- Steve, London
As most of London's children are of an ethnic background they would see them as pale.
- Steve, London
The post was about lack of visibility of the fastest growing minority. Mixed race people. Most of the non white faces you talk about onscreen appear to be South Asian.
- Maxine, London
Maxine in London. You must be blind. Almost all London based programmes on TV have a majority of non white faces. If the national programmes don't reflect the same ratios, you may want to remember that in excess of 90% of the national population is still white? Why do we have a mania in this country to set targets? Should I demand a white policeman deals with me or a white doctor or that my TV presenter when I'm in the outer Hebrides should be white and Presbyterian. Just get the best people (and they are not always female ethnic minorities I'm afraid).
- Jon, london
Mixed race people are the fastest growing minority in Britain. Yet they are strikingly invisible when it comes to being seen on our screens in regular TV programmes, films or any high visibility careers and activities. Why IS this?
- Maxine, London
More pc nonesense from the Lib Dems. The pay issue is a total red herring and is largely down to the type of work done by men and women rather than any direct discrimination. With useless MP's like her and Harperson running their personal agendas they aren't a good adverisement for women in parliament.
- H Morgan, London
Featherstone and the Harperson make a fine pair.
Abject spin and waffle - a total waste of space, indeed.
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe Compound, EUSSR
