Amongst the delights in the newly released government papers from thirty years ago is the revelation that Labour tried to marginalise Margaret Thatcher from celebrations of the anniversary of female suffrage. (BBC News: Thatcher sidelined over suffrage) Even then it seems that Labour were determined to rewrite history when it comes to women and the Conservative Party by ignoring the existence of the most prominent female politician this country has yet had (they may also try to forget that the first woman to take her seat in the Commons was a Conservative). Why? Because some of them have absorbed this idea that they can make particular voters come running to them merely by tarring other parties as discriminatory and ignore the facts. (See also Harriet Harman's rubbish memory)
It was the Conservative Party who had the first women Prime Minister, the first ethnic minority Prime Minister, the first Prime Minister born outside the United Kingdom and more gay Prime Ministers than any other party. Where Labour have just talked the talk, the Conservatives have walked the walk.
2 comments:
Your last point is slightly unfair when you consider that the Labour Party is only 108 years old and that we have only had six Prime Ministers. Still one illegitimate child, one grammar school boy, two Scots, and one with Irish lineage with a Welsh Parliamentary seat is not too bad a start.
Plus we have had two female Deputies. How many female high ranking Conservative politicians (apart from Margaret Thatcher), have you had?
Well since you compare the Labour Deputy to the Conservative Party chair we'll start with Theresa May and Caroline Spelman. Then there was Janet Young, Edwina Currie, Gillian Shepherd and Virginia Bottomley. And if we look at prominent backbenchers, the likes of Nancy Astor, Katherine Atholl, Mavis Tate, Teresa Gorman and more have been high profile over the years and easily hold a candle to the likes of Dianne Abbot.
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