tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2133809191630290599.post2352559660834076028..comments2023-08-19T16:44:23.150+01:00Comments on National Left: Women Only Shortlists.glynbeddauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933352430631144936noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2133809191630290599.post-39010771976575997992012-03-15T06:55:45.416+00:002012-03-15T06:55:45.416+00:00Myfanwy stood in my seat and I voted for her, I ev...Myfanwy stood in my seat and I voted for her, I even had her sign in my garden.<br /><br />So even if Plaid had won every seat they'd only have had 7 female MPs. I think HMJ needs to speak to her bosses before she speaks to the press. And that is exactly what I would do if the situation was reversed and I was a member of a party.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11475962539522399975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2133809191630290599.post-19361570687580906022012-03-14T07:22:51.458+00:002012-03-14T07:22:51.458+00:00Stuart: I believe the Women Candidates For Plaidfo...Stuart: I believe the Women Candidates For Plaidfor 2010 were<br />Brecon and radnorshire Janet Davies<br />Cardiff south and Penarth Farida Aslam<br />Clwyd south Janet Ryder<br />Llanelli Myfanwy Davies<br />Montgomeryshire Heledd Fychan<br />Newport East Fiona Cross<br />Vale of Clwyd Caryl Wyn-Jones<br /><br />Of These only Myfanwy Davies stood in a seat where Plaid had received o decent vote in the past. Though of course Heledd Fychan fought the best campaign of any Plaid candidate.<br /><br />I understand the criticism of Women shortlists and made my own in the Blog. But as anyone over the period that we have accepted that we should really see a more equal gender balance in our legislative bodies come up with the current electoral system we have now.<br /><br />If the you are male and the position was reversed would you accept that you were largely excluded from the Major legislative bodiesin the UK?glynbeddauhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09933352430631144936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2133809191630290599.post-72520070272937449982012-03-13T18:03:07.582+00:002012-03-13T18:03:07.582+00:00Stuart.
I think positive discrimination in the re...Stuart.<br /><br />I think positive discrimination in the regional seats for the Assembly was a benefit for Plaid at least. Certainly their Women AM's outperform the Men.<br /><br />So why not get more?<br /><br />-----------<br /><br />The problem is though, she isn't talking about regional seats. HMJ is on about Westminster seats. And even then you could stick a red rosette on a plant pot in most Welsh constituencies and it would get in. So the fact that we have had so few female MPs speaks more to how many female candidates Labour have had (6/26).<br /><br />if they had put 40 women up for election in 2010 we could have had the most ever female MPs elected. Would it matter? We could also have had the most amount of plant pots ever elected too.<br /><br />Can anyone provide a link to show how many female candidates Plaid put up in 2010?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11475962539522399975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2133809191630290599.post-3732143634941708062012-03-13T10:40:00.809+00:002012-03-13T10:40:00.809+00:00"Certainly their Women AM's outperform th..."Certainly their Women AM's outperform the Men.<br /><br />So why not get more?"<br /><br />That's gender discrimination in reverse, Glyn, you should know better than that..hehe!<br /><br />I'd prefer to have the best representatives available, irrespective of gender. Having a system which discriminates, however it does so, militates against getting the best.maen_tramgwyddnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2133809191630290599.post-27092515863727314932012-03-13T08:53:16.966+00:002012-03-13T08:53:16.966+00:00maen_tramgwyd
"We have to ask, 'Why is i...maen_tramgwyd<br /><br />"We have to ask, 'Why is it that predominantly men put themselves forward? and why selection committees/meetings select men?"<br /><br />Possibly Women don't put their names forward because they know the system is weighted against them.<br /><br />Stuart.<br /><br />I think positive discrimination in the regional seats for the Assembly was a benefit for Plaid at least. Certainly their Women AM's outperform the Men.<br /><br />So why not get more?glynbeddauhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09933352430631144936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2133809191630290599.post-23383360041117556022012-03-12T21:50:35.438+00:002012-03-12T21:50:35.438+00:00So instead of the most popular candidate she wants...So instead of the most popular candidate she wants the most popular woman? Sure, let's make this eletoral system an even bigger joke than it is.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11475962539522399975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2133809191630290599.post-42535443093381463892012-03-12T13:58:52.380+00:002012-03-12T13:58:52.380+00:00No-one denies the existence of gender inbalance in...No-one denies the existence of gender inbalance in the world of politics, or the need for a more balanced legislature.<br /><br />The question is, how is it to be addressed? <br /><br />I think it's a far more fundamental and complex issue than simple pre-selection of candidates. There is some evidence that there is self-selection as far as women are concerned - it appears that fewer wish to embark on a political career than men. It seems to be an unattractive career for females.<br /><br />I feel it's a bit simplistic to say. "We'll only select from a list of women in this or that constituency - that'll solve it!" <br /><br />That 'solution' gives the electorate even less choice. Voters have precious little say as it is. It is the electorate which matters, the people elected represent them, and they deserve the best available. If that doesn't happen, then we end up with a detachment between the people and the politicians. That's what we've got today.. most people have a very low opinion of most of them. I'm not saying that is only, or even mainly, because positive discrimination has been in operation.<br /><br />We have to ask, 'Why is it that predominantly men put themselves forward? and why selection committees/meetings select men?<br /><br />I have lived in a constituency having a female MP selected from an all-female list. I must admit that her male predecessor did a far better job in my humble opinion. Unfortunately it was a constituency where a donkey with a Labour rosette would get elected. <br /><br />I'm very much hoping that my preferred female choice will be elected as Plaid's leader with a thumping majority on Thursday so that the party can move forward under a dynamic charismatic person.maen_tramgwyddnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2133809191630290599.post-31330634731855508402012-03-12T11:48:57.437+00:002012-03-12T11:48:57.437+00:00maen_tramgwyd
The problem with your argument over...maen_tramgwyd<br /><br />The problem with your argument over gender equality taking priority over merit and ability. Is that as My Blog shows that over the years since 1885 when it could be argued Parliament had its first Democratic elections (an then Women and many Men were still excluded) out of hundreds of MP's only 13 Women have been elected from Wales (even after the representation act of 1918 when women over 30 were first granted the vote for parliamentary elections)Means that gender has clearly been an issue in selection.<br /><br />So Women Only lists are replacing a hidden discrimination with an open one.glynbeddauhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09933352430631144936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2133809191630290599.post-67557449366385857292012-03-12T09:45:56.661+00:002012-03-12T09:45:56.661+00:00I'm not sure I agree wholeheartedly with the p...I'm not sure I agree wholeheartedly with the premiss that gender equality should take priority over merit and ability. <br /><br />If I needed the services of a surgeon, lawyer, or a plumber, for example, then the question of gender would not arise, I would choose the best available. I'm not sure if politics should be an exception. We need the best, the most capable, politicians too.<br /><br />Having said that, most of the ones we have at Westminster and Cardiff, are a pretty rum bunch, regardless of party affiliation or gender. <br /><br />Our politicians are selected by the parties, not by the electorate. We only get to vote for the pre-selected few. <br /><br />It's conceivable that were positive discrimiation in favour of female candidates to be adopted by most, if not all, of the parties, then the voters in a particular constituency might have an all-female list - not one of whom was selected on merit - other than in competition with other females.<br /><br />Where I knew that more capable candidates of the other gender were excluded, I don't know that in all conscience I could put my name forward, as it would be a denial of the right of the constituents to have the choice of the best available candidate.<br /><br />A number of parties have adopted positive discrimination, including Labour and Plaid Cymru. The latter has excluded at least one extremely capable and experienced person who might have led his party to electoral success had he been selected. In my opinion some far less able female candidates were chosen for regional lists, and the party paid the price for it subsequently. One might consider that it is where it is today because of that decision. It could be regarded as a triumph of principle over political pragmatism. I'd call it sheer stupidity, but then, I'm a man.maen_tramgwyddnoreply@blogger.com