Are the Conservatives really bothered about...

[legoStuckinmyHoover]

...women?

Just wondered about conservative MEP's as I was reading this. And wondered about Cameron's Changed more progressive conservative party? maybe someone on here can help to me to understand this?

"On 25 February, 22 out of 25 Tory MEPs voted against a resolution calling for the EU to become a party to the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women. The remaining three did not vote.

On 10 February, seven measures on a report on equality for women in the EU saw the majority of Tory MEPs voting against or abstaining. The measures included giving better protection to women on maternity leave, backing women's easy access to contraception and abortion, and making men more aware of their responsibilities for sexual and reproductive health" [Independent march 28th].

"Fiona Hall, leader of the Liberal Democrats in Europe, said: "For the Tories to suggest that it is in women's interests to vote for them is downright cheek. We have looked at the voting record of Conservative MEPs and one thing is very clear: the Conservatives are a danger to women" [Independent 28/03]

Perhaps they feel it is legislation they should be voting on, not a report or a convention. This is where MEPs time is wasted imo; reports should be done at the committee stage and then legislation drafted from that, not have the MEPs (highly paid and expensed), voting on a report FGS.

More to the point, can someone explain to me what the MEPs actually do, as it doesn't seem to be much?

to quote Tory MP Teresa Gorman "The Conservative Establishment has always treated women as nannies, grannies and fannies."

Voting against a report is not necessarily objecting to the subject. It may have been a vote against the data used to arrive at conclusions, the method, the statistical manipulation - anything! They may have felt it didn't go far enough. Agree this is why reports should be voted in in committee and even then taken in parts to vote.

I don't know whether they took the report in parts here or not, nor why the MEPs voted against, but concluding that they're a danger to women purely on that basis is rather far-fetched.

Similarly voting against the convention is not necessarily against the subject itself...

LOL at Theresa Gorman - she is one woman who always speaks her mind. Respect to her.