Are women getting a better ride in politics than we were 10 years ago?

Houses of Parliament

(Image credit: Rex)

published 7 October 2011

Ed Milliband looks set to promote several female MPs in his next cabinet reshuffle, so are we set to make more of a splash on the still male political landscape?

Labour leader Ed Milliband looks set to promote several female MPs in his next cabinet reshuffle, so are we set to make more of a splash on the still male political landscape?

Are women getting a better ride in politics than we were 10 years ago?

MPs Rachel Reeves, Stella Creasy and Gloria De Piero have all been tipped for the top, when Ed Milliband announces his changes, despite having only entered parliament 18 months ago.

Previously, candidates have been selected through votes within the party, however this was quickly changed when Ed Milliband was elected to front the opposition. He argued that the election system led to candidates 'campaigning against colleagues' for months, which was a 'huge distraction' and the party recently voted to scrap the system.

This means that the Labour leader has full control over the reshuffle and can personally select his front bench.

Gloria De Piero, a former GMTV presenter turned MP for Ashfield, is likely to be promoted from her current role as shadow culture minister to shadow secretary of state.

Reeves, currently MP for Leeds West and shadow minister for pension has been tipped to replace Angela Eagle as shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, while Eagle is expected to be chosen for another shadow cabinet job.

Rumours are rife that the reshuffle is fast approaching and it looks like Ed Milliband is intent on including several women to sit on his frontbench as the key to success in the next election.

Meanwhile, Ken Clarke hasn't been doing his party any favours in attracting the female voter after his sexist jibes aimed at fellow Conservative MP Theresa May. He has since apologised for his 'colourful language', but this outburst indicates that parliament may still have some way to go in achieving a complete equal standing for women in politics.

Do you think women have an equal standing in politics? Would more women on the frontbench encourage you to vote fo the party? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box below.

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Natalia is a health journalist with 14 years experience in the publishing industry. She has worked for a number of well known magazines and websites including Marie Claire, Woman&Home, Top Sante, Boots and The Telegraph. She likes to think she practices what she preaches when it comes to health and fitness. Her athletic prowess began early. A keen fencer for 13 years, she wielded an epée for Olympic Team GB during her teenage years. She likes to think she made sword-fighting cool before Game of Thrones came along! While working on her sporting performance with the team, she also participated in a lot of nutrition and psychology training, When it comes to time off, you’ll most likely find her up a mountain somewhere. It seems holidays have become a time for climbing several thousand feet, rather than chilling out. She’s now hiked eight of the major mountain ranges across four continents – including the Appalachians, the Smokies, the Sierra Nevadas (she spent her honeymoon hiking to the top of Half Dome), as well as hitting the summits of Snowdon, Pen-Y-Fan (Brecon Beacons), Table Mountain in South Africa, the Blue Mountains in Australia and the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. She’s also passionate about all things health, particularly vaccinations, and will happily jump on her soap box at any given opportunity to talk about their benefits to anyone who will listen!

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