http://happyfeminist.typepad.com/happyfeminist/2005/12/holly_at_self_p.html

So women can’t hack it when people start raising their voices? Or women can’t cope with conflict and disagreement? I had no idea you were such an unreconstructed sexist, Neil, especially given the force of all of your other right-on opinions.

Obviously there are factors other than the electoral system. France has a majoritarian system like ours, it hasn’t stopped the rise of the far right has it?

“to suggest that women can’t cope with party politics.”

You know that I never said anything of the sort. I said that women are discouraged from party politics and that the macho image doesn’t help attract them to it.

Just like in France, where Le Pen’s party has withered away and completely died in the face of popular scrutiny…

It’s a lovely platitude, but it doesn’t work in practice, does it?

‘It’s not surprising women aren’t interested in the macho games of ‘party politics’ or of even using the specific label of politics, this is because they are so excluded from it by the ’style’ and ‘focus’ of this male dominated sphere.’

That’s incredibly patronising of you, Neil, to suggest that women can’t cope with party politics. Maybe they shouldn’t worry their pretty little heads about it in your world, huh?

‘Like Stalin and Hitler before you, you know what you need to do.’

You’re the one calling for fascist parties to be in parliament, not Blimpish.

But the ‘shape of their genitals’ has an effect on what they believe. Women have different priorities and experiences. Women MPs are more likely to be interested in and focus policy on issues that are more relevant to women. Isn’t this important?

Nosemonkey: “So, could it be that women simply aren’t interested in politics?”

There are actually a fairly even number of male and female bloggers. Ninety percent of what you call ‘political blogs’ might be male run but you forget ‘politics’ is everything. Look at any female blog on any subject and you will find quite a lot of politics. Just because they don’t give it that specific label misses the point.

It’s not surprising women aren’t interested in the macho games of ‘party politics’ or of even using the specific label of politics, this is because they are so excluded from it by the ‘style’ and ‘focus’ of this male dominated sphere.

Get 50% female representation in parliament and watch this style and focus change and as a result more women will become interested. Until we get over this ‘inertia problem’, things will never change and the different experiences and priorities of women will be lost.

Sorry I called you a Tory if you are not. It is most definitely an insult in my book, when you look at their record in blocking or trying to block almost every progressive legislative move in the UK, including this one.

Andrew: “Neil Harding wants the BNP to be given seats in parliament.”

I like the way you put it Andrew.

If by having fair representation in parliament this means 1 or 2 BNP MPs, then that is the correct thing to have.

The reason I say this is because by driving BNP supporters underground, we don’t make their views go away. It is only by having their views confronted in parliament that people will see how ridiculous they are and stop voting for them.

Blimpish: “I’m quite happy to argue for [the dominance of the establishment] openly.”

I’ll give you credit, Blimpish, at least you are open about not wanting a democracy, which is probably why you want me to shut up. Like Stalin and Hitler before you, you know what you need to do.

Since it appears that it is far more difficult to become an MP is you are female, we can assume that those MPs who are are exceptionally good, efficient, honest or all three.

Therefore, the data from which the statistics are derived are skewed. No regular reader of Private Eye would ever suggest that women are inherently more competent or less corrupt than men.

And I’m sure that no one is suggesting that women are inherently better than men in any way. We wouldn’t want to be sexist now, would we?

DK

Any form of positive discrimination means promoting some people above their capabilities – and people who are promoted above their capabilities perform below them. I think we can all name certain Labour MPs who’ve been brought in on the back of all-women shortlists and who’ve proved terrible.

Full time politicians are, by definition, completely unrepresentative of the population at large. It doesn’t mean they can’t perform their jobs effectively, which, as a voter, is the only thing that interests me.

To return to your original premise, there’s no reason for the Conservative Party to adopt a policy which has next to no support among the population at large, and might well blow up in their faces, as at Blaenau Gwent.

Yeah, but I will, at least on the principle of descriptive representation (within reasonable limits) as a goal of democracy.

Are there official All-Men Shortlists? No.

Correct. But still plenty of unofficial ones.

Don’t fret, DK. The Sharpener, en bloc, is certainly not taking cabinet responsibility for this one.