50:50 Parliament event prompts questions about cross-party representation

An event to celebrate gender parity in Bristol’s cabinet has sparked criticism from some opposition councillors.

Supporting a 50:50 Parliament, due to take place this Thursday, was organised by the national 50:50 parliament group.

However, the only council members invited to speak at the event are mayor Marvin Rees and deputy mayor Asher Craig, both members of the Labour Party.

Penny Gane, chair of Bristol Women’s Commission, has also been invited to speak at the event.

Emma Edwards, a Green councillor for Bishopston & Ashley Down, questioned why no women from other political parties in the city were invited to the event.

She said in a tweet: “Why this event is only featuring a Labour woman councillor and a male Labour mayor and vetoing female councillors from other parties to be on the panel is very disappointing indeed.”

Edwards also accused Labour of hijacking the event, saying: “We have a chamber full of women and non-binary folk across four parties, to see such a valuable cause as 50:50 getting hijacked by one party is a crying shame.”

Edwards pointed out that Bristol Women’s Commission was initially set up as a cross-party effort under the previous mayor, George Ferguson, and that therefore the event should have a cross-party involvement.

When Bristol24/7 approached Labour about the lack of cross-party representation, a spokesperson for the Labour Group responded that it was the decision of 50:50 Parliament, not the Labour Group, to invite Rees and Craig.

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The spokesperson said: “As nice as it is to see Green Party councillors asking to celebrate Bristol Labour’s 50/50 gender-balanced cabinet, 50:50 Parliament invited the mayor and deputy mayor, along with Penny Gane of the Bristol Women’s Commission, and that invitation has been accepted.”

However, in a statement to Bristol24/7 on Tuesday, councillor for Lockleaze and leader of the Green group Heather Mack, claimed that 50:50 had in fact wished to ensure the event involved cross-party members.

“I was keen to attend the Supporting a 50:50 Parliament event, I appreciate the work 50:50 do and as a woman in politics it’s an important cause to me. I understand that 50:50 wished to make it a cross-party event and I’m disappointed that Labour prevented them doing this,” said Mack.

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She continued: “I hope that those at the event are given plenty of information about different parties and politics, and that we have a cross-party event in the future, as Labour only represents one third of our council seats in Bristol.”

According to 50:50, there are currently two times more men than women on most elected bodies throughout the UK. The organisation is calling for 100 more women in Parliament by 2030.

The Supporting a 50:50 parliament event is being held on Thursday at 5:30 in the Bristol City Hall Council Chamber.

Main photo: Bristol City Council

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