tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post7369142042729438570..comments2023-10-27T07:50:27.411+01:00Comments on Next Left: Why a smaller Commons will set back progress to gender equality in ParliamentTom Hampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917325958130851128noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post-33037128841696395192010-07-28T11:43:55.676+01:002010-07-28T11:43:55.676+01:00Labour have always supported a smaller House of Co...Labour have always supported a smaller House of Commons. The existing legislation puts the optimal size of the Commons at 619 and Labour have never sought to change this. The reduction takes us closer to that optimal size than at present so it is a little late - 13 years to late - to cry foul now.James Graham (Quaequam Blog!)https://www.blogger.com/profile/00319089107820032874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post-78343163071492772102010-07-11T00:02:13.880+01:002010-07-11T00:02:13.880+01:00I don't think many women will be alarmed by th...I don't think many women will be alarmed by the thought of their political prospects being diminshed by a smaller Commons because women, generally, aren't as interested in politics as the academic argument on gender representation makes them out to be. I have written on my own blog, concidentally, about how young girls today are far more interested in becoming WAGS than using their intellectual powers. <br />Can we not start to accept the reality of the gender debate and tackle it at grass roots level? The top-down approach of positive selection processes and quotas isn't incorporating an analysis of why women aren't going into politics. <br />I can offer a personal anecdote as an insight. My 10 year old daughter is seen by her female peers as being odd because of her interest in politics. She is grateful to Ed Miliband for talking about how he was considered uncool when he was growing up. If it is starting at this age then I can only assume that when these girls are adults any thoughts of them going into politics will be as remote as the concept of the paperless office.Jane Chelliah https://www.blogger.com/profile/07504546435928917437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post-9389164693030752522010-07-05T20:18:50.866+01:002010-07-05T20:18:50.866+01:00(a) Over 3 million people otherwise entitled to vo...(a) Over 3 million people otherwise entitled to vote were missing from the registers at the General Election. This is even a more serious problem when a referendum takes place if the outcome is decided by a small majority.<br />(b) Those missing from the registers form high percentages of the young, the poor, ethnic minorities and the rootless who often live in bedsitter land. These groups are maldistributed and thus distort the drawing of constituency boundaries. Before we have a major redrawing of boundaries, the missing millions should be placed on electoral registers.<br />(c) If the number of MPs are cut by 50, how will this effect the balance of MPs between the front and back benches? If things plough on as they are, it will mean that in effect 50 back bench places will go. So much for the Wright reforms which were supposed to advance the influence of MPs especially over the Executive.Harry Barneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01833380054575757928noreply@blogger.com