Your say / Politics
‘The all-male metro mayor lineup is a depressing indictment of politics in the UK’
If there’s one thing that’s currently certain in 2021 it’s that the next metro mayor for the West of England will be a man.
That there is not a single woman in the running for a position that has control over a £1bn pot and considerable powers over education, transport, housing, jobs and infrastructure is a depressing indictment of politics in the UK.
I mean no disrespect to the current four candidates – who I am sure have worked extremely hard and are well qualified for the role – but I can’t look at that all-male lineup and not think we are going badly wrong.
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This can’t just be written off as an anomaly in our region either, it is something that transcends parties and areas. Of the nine metro mayoral positions in Britain (including London), every single one of them is currently held by a man. This could change following the elections on May 6, but it sure as hell won’t for the West as things stand.
It’s an all-male lineup so far for the West of England metro mayor election race 2021
I recently criticised the makeup of an advisory board in Bristol that is made up of 12 men and two women (the vast majority white) and it was pointed out to me that diversity across the board is important not just when it comes to gender. I couldn’t agree more.
Representation matters and it’s proven that diverse teams make the best decisions. Only when we have true representation will we be able to have political decisions that work for all and gender parity is just the tip of the iceberg.
Given women make up more than half of the population, the fact they are so badly underrepresented in the halls of power is a clear indication that things need to change.
I was all for the idea of devolution and a shift of power away from Westminster, but as things are playing out, it just looks like more jobs for the boys.
Bristol is admittedly bucking the trend in many ways; three of our four MPs are women and the council chamber is more diverse than many. We have a black mayor and deputy mayor and these signs of progress are to be celebrated whatever your political allegiances.
But again, the national picture fails to instil any confidence in our political systems.
There are currently 220 women MPs, which at 34 per cent is an all-time high but it is a long way off gender parity.
In the upcoming Bristol mayoral elections, Lib Dem candidate Dr Caroline Gooch is the only woman in the running so far – campaigning on a platform to scrap the role entirely.
Undoubtedly, the reason for this lack of representation is to do with the legacy of a patriarchal system that less than 100 years ago wouldn’t even allow many women to vote let alone stand as a representative.
Going into politics is also famously non-family-friendly – the fact that we are in 2021 and only just legislating for ministers and shadow ministers to get guaranteed maternity pay is telling of how slow progress has been in this area.
Then there is the additional abuse female politicians receive via social media – a reason cited by a number who stood down in 2019.
Yet despite all this, there are still women capable and willing to put themselves forward, but we need to support them all the way and recognise the additional challenges they face. We also need an overhaul of a tired system that will always favour the status quo.
As things stand, as a journalist, I will aim to cover the upcoming election campaigns fairly and accurately. I will report on the debates and the pledges made.
In so many ways, I love the excitement and promise in the air that comes with elections. But I’ll still be hoping that in four years time the lineup might look very different.
Main photo by Bristol24/7
Read more: ‘Bristol’s local elections in May need to take place’
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