All-women shortlists

With all the fuss about MPs’ expenses, attention has focussed on Parliamentary seats and the way in which candidates are selected.  But what about local councillors? 

Leasowe & Moreton East Ward, in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, has around 11,000 voters, represented by three councillors – me, Ron Abbey (Labour) and Iris Coates (Labour).  Until 2007, it had never had a Conservative councillor and was described, that year, by the Council Leader as ‘rock solid’ Labour.

Now, I don’t think I am breaking any confidences when I report that Iris is not seeking re-election in May 2010.  She’s not alone – quite a few Labour councillors are packing it in.  Ron Abbey’s current term doesn’t end until 2011 and mine not until 2012.  So, whoever is elected in 2010 will be ‘sharing’ the ward with Ron Abbey and I.

And this is where the two parties differ…

The Leasowe Labour Party has selected someone from a list of potential candidates, all of whom had been approved by the Wirral District Labour Party.  Sadly, it wasn’t an open contest to pick the best person.  Instead, the choice was restricted to women-only candidates.  In other words, if you’re a bloke, tough luck.  I had suspected that their local campaigner, Andrew, was going to be the Labour candidate but, as he’s Andrew and not Andrea, he is ineligible to stand under Labour’s rule. 

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I have no gripe with the (female) candidate Labour has selected BUT I do not believe in restricting the choice to women-only.  Surely, the criteria should be who is the best person for the job, not their sex?  Can you imagine the row if a political party said ‘men only’?

By selecting the best people to stand as councillors, regardless of their sex, the Conservative Party in Wallasey has six women out of 14 Conservative councillors in total. 

At Parliamentary level, we have had a woman candidate at every General Election since 1974.  Lynda Chalker until 1992; Patricia Wilcock in 1997; Lesley Rennie in 2001 and Leah Fraser in 2005 and 2010.

It didn’t take any all-women shortlists to do this.  We think the women are just as good as the men at representing their communities and don’t need any patronising favours.  At this point, Harriet Harman hyperventilates…

But we’re not stopping there.  Last night, the governing body of the Conservative Party in Wallasey decided to go further.  Instead of a small clique of Party members meeting behind closed doors to select a candidate, we’re going to run an ‘open primary’. 

Next month, we are going to write to several thousand voters across Leasowe and Moreton, and ask them to pick the Conservative candidate for the 2010 elections.  They’ll have a choice of at least two, and perhaps more, applicants and a mini-CV will be provided to each person, along with a ballot paper and pre-paid envelope. 

I’m not bothered whether that person is male or female; black or white; old or young; gay or straight; able-bodied or otherwise.  I just want the best person.

As far as I know, no Party in Wirral or Merseyside has ever tried this for a local council candidate and I’m really pleased that it’s happening in Leasowe and Moreton East.  Leah Fraser and I, and the rest of the local Party, are keen to open up local politics and involve more people in the decision making.  And asking them to pick your candidate is one of the biggest decisions a local Party has to make.

If you live in Leasowe & Moreton East and would like to take part, email office@wallaseyconservatives.com with your name and home address. Don’t worry – we’ll be writing to a wide range of voters – not just known Conservative supporters but also people we have canvassed as Liberal Democrats, Greens, UKIPs and fed-up Labour voters plus known community leaders and activists.

In the meantime, if you would like to have a say in some of the wider political issues, such as MPs’ expenses and restoring the reputation of politics, take part in Leah Fraser’s survey, as advertised in the Wirral Globe, by clicking here.

UPDATE: David Bartlett, City Editor at the Daily Post has blogged about our plans here