For immediate release – 11 May 2017
Women’s representation in Parliament ‘stagnant’ in June election
30% of MPs likely to be women, only one more than before the election
Labour set to lose 27 women MPs: Conservatives set to gain 32
On the day that the final candidates are announced, new analysis for gender equality
campaign charity the Fawcett Society finds that women’s representation in
Parliament will flatline in next month’s general election.
The analysis carried out for Fawcett by independent consultant Giselle Cory uses
Electoral Calculus’s seat-by-seat prediction for Great Britain and Lucid Talk’s
predictions for Northern Ireland, which based on current polling gives the
Conservatives a 184-seat majority. It finds that election night is likely to see under
30% women, or 197 of 650 MPs, returned to Westminster – the same proportion as
before the election. Only one more woman will sit on the green benches than before
the election was called, a rise of less than 1%.
Both of the larger parties have seen slight improvements. Fawcett finds that 25% of
Conservative MPs will be women, compared with 21% before the election, and with
32 more women MPs, taking their total to 102. 46% of Labour MPs will be women,
up from 44% before the election, but with fewer seats overall meaning have 27
fewer women MPs.
The Liberal Democrats are predicted to have just seven MPs, of whom one is likely to
be a woman, and the model predicts that 36% of SNP members and one of the three
Plaid Cymru MPs will be women. Just three of the 18 Northern Ireland seats look
likely to be held by women.
This picture of stagnation comes after real improvement in 2015, when Westminster
went from 22% to 29% women. It leaves the UK still languishing at number 47 in the
world for women’s representation in national parliaments.
Commenting on the analysis, Sam Smethers, Fawcett Chief Executive, said
“We had feared that women’s representation would go backwards, but the
concerted efforts made by both main parties to get more women in to retirement
and target seats have averted that.
“Yet progress has stalled. Getting more women in cannot be subject to party political
fortunes. As we approach the centenary of women first getting to vote in general
elections, it is a terrible indictment of our democracy that we are stuck at 30%
women in Parliament.
“We agree with the recommendation of the cross-party Women and Equalities
Select Committee that 45% of each party’s candidates must be women. The time has
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For immediate release – 11 May 2017
come for a legally enforceable target to achieve the radical and sustainable change
we need.”
In terms of the overall picture of candidates, regardless of whether they are likely to
win, 41% of Labour candidates are women, up from 34% in 2015. The proportion of
Conservative candidates who are women is 29%, up from 26% at the last election,
and the Liberal Democrats have risen from 26% to 30%. The proportion of SNP
candidates who are women has fallen slightly from 36% to 33%.
- Ends For more information, infographics or interviews contact Fresh communication:
Abby Richardson – [email protected] / 07876 378 733
Nathalie Golden – [email protected] / 07769 66 66 2
Editors Notes:
Data on candidates is compiled from parties’ lists and web searches, and then
applied to likely winning candidates according to Electoral Calculus’ seat predictions,
which are available at http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/orderedseats.html, as of
11/5/2017.
For Northern Ireland data, which Electoral Calculus does not model, we have used
Lucid Talk data available at
http://lucidtalk.co.uk/images/News/LTOpinionPanelFCastSeatPredictorGEJune17V1.pdf
Data on both the 2015 election results and the 2017 candidates are provided by
Democracy Club. The data can be found at https://democracyclub.org.uk
Data on women candidates in 2015 is collected from
https://secondreading.uk/elections/general-election-2015-women-mps-and-candidates/
Data on previous elections’ proportions of women MPs , and international comparisons, is
available at http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN01250/SN01250.pdf
29% of MPs elected in 2015 were women, which rose to 30% following by-elections.
Total numbers of women MPs predicted in 2017 are as below:
Party
Conservative
Labour
Liberal Democrat
SNP
PC
Minor parties
DUP
UUP
SDLP
Seats – Women
pre– preelection election
331
70
230
101
9
1
54
18
3
1
2
1
8
0
2
0
3
1
%
21
44
11
33
33
50
0
0
33
Seats 2017
417
160
7
45
3
0
8
1
3
Number of
women 2017
102
74
1
16
1
0
0
0
1
%
24.5
46.3
14.3
35.6
33.3
0
0
0
33.3
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For immediate release – 11 May 2017
Sinn Fein
Independent/Alliance
Total
4
4
1
2
25
50
5
1
1
1
197
20.0
100.0
30.3
Previous election announcement
This research comes on the heels of Fawcett analysis of recent polling data,
accompanying the launch of their general election manifesto, which found that a
‘missing eight million’ women say that they aren’t necessarily going to vote in the
2017 general election.
With the deadline for voter registration on the 22nd May, Fawcett is calling on
women to register and use their voice. The charity’s manifesto also calls for:






Women to be represented at every level and stage of Brexit negotiations.
An increase in the national living wage to bring it up to the level of the real
living wage.
An extended, dedicated, well paid period of leave for fathers
A requirement for large companies who have to report their gender pay gaps
to have an action plan in place, and penalties for those who do not comply.
A long-term, national, and sustainable funding strategy for specialist womenonly services including domestic violence refuges, in order to meet our
Istanbul Convention obligations.
A National Care Service, giving social care parity with the NHS, and investing
in social care infrastructure with a professionalised care workforce.
The Manifesto also addresses equal representation; defending women's rights postBrexit; ending violence against women and girls, and ensuring women are not
hardest hit by any economic downturn or spending cuts. Read it in full here:
https://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Fawcett-GeneralElection-Manifesto.pdf
About Us
The Fawcett Society is the UK’s leading charity campaigning for gender equality and
women’s rights at work, at home and in public life. Our vision is a society in which
the choices you can make and the control you have over your life are no longer
determined by your gender.
www.fawcettsociety.org.uk
Giselle Cory conducted the analysis for this work. She is a freelance data scientist.
Previously, she has been a Senior Research Fellow at IPPR and a Senior Research and
Policy Analyst at the Resolution Foundation, and worked in government at the
Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit. She is also the co-founder of Balu, an app that helps
you shop more consciously www.getbalu.org
Hustings Event
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For immediate release – 11 May 2017
Fawcett, along with the Women’s Budget Group, Maternity Action, Girlguiding, Rape
Crisis, the Young Women’s Trust, and Rosa, are hosting a women’s hustings on the
22nd May from 6-8pm in central London.
Attendees will get the chance to quiz politicians from across political parties about
the issues that matter to them. The 200 capacity venue is sold out, but the waiting
list is available at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/general-election-womenshustings-2017-tickets-34326867585?aff=es2
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