My opinion piece for Conservative Home
As the Conservative leadership campaign gains momentum, it’s striking that none of the six candidates have given significant attention to the crucial support from female members, nor have they acknowledged the value of our local female councillors.
This oversight is not just a missed opportunity; it risks alienating a vital segment of our party’s foundation. The importance of female participation in local politics and within the Conservative Party, and the urgent need to increase the number of women elected to parliament, should be high on their agenda.
After all, what is modernisation without equal representation?
Having listened to four out of the six leaders and reading up on what has been shared on social media, it’s clear that they all share a vision of uniting the party, bringing back lost voters, and putting members at the heart of the Conservative Party’s success. They all stress the need to deliver for the people, putting country first.
While there’s no doubt that we have a lot of work to do in rebuilding our party and building morale, it’s equally clear that without the support of our female members, there remains a void in our offer.
Our female MPs have consistently demonstrated the highest levels of ethics and integrity. Yet the party still has much progress to make in recognising and promoting female leadership: in the general election, fewer than one in three of the candidates selected in Tory-held constituencies or crucial target seats were women, and just eight new female candidates were elected.
For a party engulfed by the need to modernise and embrace the diverse changes around us, we are trailing behind where equal representation is concerned.
This is not just a matter of statistics but a pressing issue that requires immediate attention. I don’t need to highlight the number of women in Labour and Liberal Democrat camps. This is replicated not just in the House of Commons but across local government, too. And as Conservatives, we need to do a whole lot better.
Women make up a substantial portion of our party’s membership. Many of these women are not only dedicated party members but also local councillors juggling multiple responsibilities with family, full-time jobs, and volunteering for the party. Their unique perspectives and experiences, shaped by their diverse roles, are invaluable for shaping policies that resonate with a broader electorate.
Female members, councillors, and activists are part of the backbone of our grassroots efforts and they are on the frontlines, engaging with communities, fundraising, and driving local initiatives. Their work is crucial for maintaining the party’s connection with the electorate and for implementing change at the local level. As one long-serving councillor aptly put it:
“Women are not just the heart of the community; they are its pulse, driving it forward with empathy and determination.”
David Cameron tried to push the women’s agenda to the forefront. Of course, at the end of the day, it will be up to the associations and federations to pick the right candidates; their role is crucial in ensuring that we have a diverse and representative group of candidates.
However, I still believe that our leadership candidates should feel it is equally important and vociferously make that point. After all, if it is not important to the leadership, why should it be important to the association?
The recent passing of a female councillor, without acknowledgement from our leaders, highlights a concerning lack of empathy and human connection. Recognising and celebrating the contributions of our female members fosters a sense of community and loyalty within the party.
Female leaders are crucial for our success. Many female candidates who put themselves forward at the last minute when the party called, didn’t do it because they wanted it on their CV; they did it because of their loyalties towards the party. Many who went out campaigning did it because of their passion to support all and hoped against hope for a Conservative win.
As a party, we should be proud that we were the first to produce a female prime minister who took the world by storm with her strength, dedication, love for country and life of service.
However, we are still far behind in parliament, local councils, associations, Conservative Party Board representation, and the voluntary party and these are crucial if we are ever to encourage more women to join us. The need for more female leaders is not just a matter of equality, but a necessity for the success and growth of our party.
What we saw in this election was a selection process that left many talented female candidates without a seat. During the campaign, decisions were made at the top and didn’t take into account what was being fed back by our activists on the ground.
Our leaders must reconnect with the grassroots, acknowledge the human touch, the diverse skills and knowledge, and the emotional intelligence that our female members bring. It’s time to move beyond rhetoric and commit to real inclusion and representation. The future success – and relevance – of our party depends on it.
