Why don't more women go into British politics?

[oakydokey]

I'm just curious. Why is it that we still don't have equal representation. Since the terrible spectacle of the Blair Babes the whole subject seems to have been swept under the carpet - and women MP's get loads of air time so it doesn't look as though parliament is still stuffed full of men but it is. 143 women and 507 men. And does it matter? Would the decision about housing benefit, child benefit and tuition fees have been any different if as many women as men had been voting on it? Dunno.

Would you stand again, complimentary?

Yes I would.

Interesting about the old boyfriends thing.

Do men have a similar worry about old girlfriends I wonder?

The reason I wouldn't want to do it is the whole adversarial shoutiness and yar boo sucks of parliament.

(And the old boyfriends thing, obv )

One of mly female friends from uni is an mp. She has a toddler child. They live in London . She is home after. Midnight 3 nights a week and then on Fridays gies up to her constituency 2 hrs away and comes home Sunday morning to have Sunday with her husband and child.

It's no life I m v h o .
When I ask what she will do when her child is in school she goes a little pale.

Oh yes the shouting. It's hideous. And women can't really shout so well IMO without falling foul of one of the misogynistic stereotypes of "shrill" etc.

I think there should be a no shouting/interrupting in the House for a week, on pain of being expelled from the chamber for the rest of the day. See how much more gets done.

I'm a local councillor and I love what I do (although after 10 yrs you could say that I've simply become institutionalised!)

That said, it is not an environment for the faint-hearted, and the sheer nastiness is sometimes breathtaking. Most women find the Council Chamber, with it cat-calling and barracking, very daunting - it took me about three years to say anything much at all.

I had my 4th child a few years ago, and breastfeeding in the Council Chamber certainly raised a few eyebrows (the last cllr to give birth whilst in office - some 20 yrs previously - had actually been ejected from the chamber for breastfeeding - so slowly things change).

Yes the evening meetings can be difficult. They are largely full of old men with nothing else to do who would be happy to bore on all night about a point of order, although sometimes I found a good argument cathartic after a day at home with toddlers.

Most women don't have the time or energy for this sort of war of attrition. Being villified in the press (the local press can be just as viscious as the nationals) was awful, particularly for my older children who could read the articles.

I'm acutely aware that I gave up a career as a teacher and any hope of a pension to do this, but that the electorate could kick me out at the next election.

Most difficult is that you are constantly on call - phone calls from constituents at all hours, stopped at the shops etc. It can be impossible to set aside family time.

I have been involved in a lot of politics, and am now involved in hardly any! I did a politics A level and a degree in British Politics. I worked as a researcher to an MP in the House of Commons. I worked as assistant to the leader of a Council. I was a local councillor. I went to conferences, hustings, delivered leaflets, canvassed. I was on the selection panel for candidates. I personally love the adversarial nature of the Commons etc. However, I would say that through all of this the overwhelming dominance of the white, middle aged, middle class, arrogant man is very draining. Sometimes you are just bored to death by the sound of them loving their own voice. Meetings go on for ages for no reason. Nothing you do seems to make a difference. It takes up hours of your time for little or no money. You can't keep up a normal home or work life. It is full of hacks and cliques. I am now involved very little as the impetus seems to have left me overnight. And I can say I am not missing it one bit so far! Politics has become a profession in itself which alienates a lot of people.

Also, picking up on what Enola said about 'little or no money' it's a bit of an irony that you can earn more being the sort of person who is paid to advise others about politics and the political system eg lobbyist, political PR consultant than you can being an actual politician!

There seems to be a general inability to chair meetings - not just in politics but everywhere - which drives sane people with things to do to distraction. In my first job I used to listen to the arguments toing and froing straying far from the point and eventually demand to know what the decision was as I needed something to put in the minutes :o

Can imagine the middle class white men with all the time in the world boring for England.

In answer to an earlier point by @elephantsand miasmas about becoming a politician do you not think that your 4th point is the problem we have with society in general that fear of not being able to do the job properly. Why not ? we all make mistakes if we don't make mistakes we never gain experience and improve it's what we do after the mistake to make things better and learn from them that's important.I think if any politician put their hand up and said yes I made a mistake but we are going to do this now to rectify it we might all get behind their honesty. what do you think?

Also do you all honestly think that all men think it is about looks, hair, clothes and make up! what about Mo Molem. She was genius I would have voted for her if she had been leader of the party and up for Prime Minister.

Sorry DPringle don't get your final point? What about men thinking what?

Totally agree with your first point though. I wish that was the way things were.

I really think someone should run cross-party workshops for women thinking of trying to become PPC. Few people even know about the system. I swear this is why politics runs in families because to the uninitiated it is rather a strange process. For instance, some people are on the council etc for years before running, then there's the man I knew who was an MP in his early 20s (practically annointed by predecessor though).

Anyway sorry OT a bit.

looking at the ones already in there Harperson,Blears et al
thank god they dont go into it

Well, unless you live very close to London, you have to live away from home during the week when Parliament is sitting - so if nothing else, that would put many potential female MPs with children off.

Had a bit to drink so can't be arsed going through the replies, but my opinion is that women are generally the ones who have to arrange child care etc and being someone who DOES try to get involved in politics locally I find I can't even get to a meeting to complain about meeting times/creche facilities etc.

thereiver - you're suddenly all over this board like a rash, what have we done to deserve you?

What about Theresa May, Maggie Thatcher, Ann Widdecombe, Caroline Lucas - any of them appeal to you more?

Just for the record calling Harriet Harman "Harperson" is one of the swiftest ways to make yourself sound like an idiot.

Do you seriously think your dislike of a few women in politics is an argument against women being in politics? Or are you just having a jolly dumbass jape?