To wonder how labour can still say they are the progressive, liberal party of equal rights?

[latetothefisting]

After this www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/05/uks-four-great-offices-of-state-may-soon-not-feature-a-white-man-for-first-time

Caveat: I have never voted Tory, am not impressed with Truss as PM and am sure that very few people consider Priti Patel as an ethnic minority success story.

But labour still seem to harp on the old bandwagon that they are the socially progressive party, open to everyone, focus on equal rights, non racist, non sexist etc. Yet they have still never elected a woman leader, despite us making up more than 50% of the population.(I know there were 2 acting female leaders before anyone jumps in). I'm 32 years old and despite not admiring any of them personally I can appreciate that 3 out of the 8 people who have been prime minister since I've been born are women. Yet they've all been bloody Conservative.

Pretty much all the other parties have had multiple female leaders too, for good or bad.

AIBU to think labour need to get their flipping act together and start practicing what they preach?

They'd need to have a suitable female MP before they elect her as leader.

Doesn't seem to bother the tories!

...but the Labour women are a bit pants tbh

They have to be able to know what a woman is first.

It is easier for the tories to elect female prime ministers and diverse cabinets when they've been the ruling party for 12 years and change their leader every 5 minutes.

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YANBU OP! It’s such a good point

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YANBU - It is a classic case of do what I say, not what I do from Labour.

Although labour couldn't manage it and they were in power for 13 years .

They have - my colleague who is a big fan of Scottish independence (thought reading between lines is not a fan of the present version of the SNP) was singing the praises of Jess Phillips for ages to me at work the other day.

I can't see the Unions with their deeply misogynistic membership allowing a female Labour leader for at least another 20 years.

I think the Tories do it so they can say the equivalent of I'm not racist my mate is black.

They had two leaders in that time though. Tories are now on 4 in the same timeframe. I'm not denying it's poor showing from Labour to have gone with the bland white man Keir, but 2 out of the 3 female tory leaders have been since 2016, in which time Labour have only voted in one leader. Since 2015, Labour and tories have had the same number of white male leaders.

So what's the excuse for labour?

Also let's not forget, before we rush to Crown the tories the kings of feminism, that sandwiched between those female tory pms is...Boris Johnson.

Why? They've had plenty of unsuitable male MPs as leaders, why can't they appoint an unsuitable woman?

Best person for the job whether it be male, female, goat or cyborg surely.

The labour party members elect their head.

If the members don't like who's up for the job they won't vote for them.

In the last Labour leadership election there were four female candidates and one male, all of them white.

Labours words on equality just seem so empty.

Also worth noting that the 2 most recent female PMs were appointed midterm without having to face a general election.

I really don't care to be honest. The Tories austerity measures have affected women and children disproportionately, single parents across the country are facing yet another winter where they can't heat their homes and can barely feed their children, only even worse than previous years - and the vast majority of single parents are women. It really doesn't matter to me whether the fat arse in the seat of power is male or female, what matters is their policies.

Really? Cooper, Reeve, Phillipson, Nandy, Debbonaire...

All valid points though aren't they?

It would be great to see a female or minority leader of labour, but I agree it needs to come down to best for the job.

I'm not sure Theresa may counts for the conservatives, no disrespect to her but she was clearly set up from the start as a temporary leader while the white men of the party shored up their support and as soon as they had it they stabbed her in the back.

Remains to be seen whether the same goes for Truss but I wouldn't be surprised. May was a clear fall guy from the start but not sure yet with Truss. That said, PMs who get into no.10 by default never last so I wouldn't hold your breath.

Plus, of course, I think she's having to work hard to reinforce her position if she doesn't have time to continue with planned interviews!

I'd rather women and minorities were elected to positions of central power through genuine support rather than as part of a strategy to get men in, which just serves to undermine female leaders and hide and excuse rife sexism.

Funny how the Tories have another new leader & yet the Right Wing keep harping on about Labour 🤔

Hmmm despite the leader of the TUC being a woman ??

Sorry going to have to think again on that attempt at Labour bashing .

Have you not noticed how many Unions have female leaders?