There have been many iconic images of the SNP’s remarkable General Election victory, but one of the strongest is the photograph taken in front of the Forth Rail Bridge as the new group gathered for the first time.
All our newly elected women are visible in the group, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon standing at the very front. The message is clear: our female contingent is diverse, confident, empowered and here to stay.
Before May 7, the SNP had six MPs, of which just one was a woman. Now the figures are 56 and 20 respectively. That’s a female representation of more than 35 per cent.
We may not yet quite be matching the Scottish Cabinet in terms of 50:50 gender balance, but it’s still a brilliant achievement. And, encouragingly, this improvement is happening right across the Westminster parliament.
Following the election, female MPs now occupy no less than 191 of the 650 seats – 29 per cent. That’s not quite as good as the SNP’s representation, but it’s still a rise of nearly one-quarter on 2010.
There’s actually been a progressive improvement, with the shape of the House of Commons changing dramatically in terms of gender balance over the last couple of generations.
However, we most certainly can’t afford to be complacent and there is still much to be done.
Following their near wipeout, for instance, the Liberal Democrats now don’t have a single female MP, having lost all the seven – itself hardly an impressive number – they had in the last parliament. Given their supposed commitment to equality, that’s probably a bit embarrassing.
But it’s not just about quantity: quality is important, too. There’s no doubt that the SNP doesn’t just have a large women’s cohort, but also an impressively strong and diverse one.
We have huge expertise in a whole range of different areas. For instance, the new MP for Central Ayrshire, Dr Philippa Whitford, is a renowned breast surgeon who has served as a medical volunteer in a UN hospital in Gaza.
Likewise, Dr Lisa Cameron, the new MP for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow, is a clinical psychologist and an expert on childhood sexual abuse and domestic violence.
In the law, Joanna Cherry, now MP for Edinburgh South West, is a QC and an authority on workplace issues. Her parliamentary neighbour in Edinburgh West, Michelle Thomson, is a self-made businesswoman who has also worked in IT and is a professional musician.
Hannah Bardell, who now represents Livingston, is a polymath who has worked in television, organised events for the US State Department and built a career in the oil and gas sector.
And then there’s Mhairi Black, our youngest member, who achieved perhaps the most remarkable result of all by overhauling Labour heavyweight Douglas Alexander’s 16,614 majority in Paisley and Renfrewshire South. Passionate, articulate and down-to-earth, she is going to be a tireless campaigner for social justice and has a hugely promising future.
So it’s a group which is talented, committed and diverse and has the benefit, too, of Eilidh Whitford’s experience and guidance. I can’t see a single one of our new female MPs being intimidated by the rules, traditions, protocols and often still male dominated culture of Westminster.
It is already clear from our induction sessions last week and from meetings we’ve had as a party that they have a huge amount to contribute to the work of Westminster, whether it be in debates, legislative procedures, committees or cross-party groups.
That contribution may involve promoting the SNP’s policy platforms in areas such as anti-austerity, welfare and scrapping Trident renewal, or it may well be in adding value in terms of their own particular areas of expertise.
And our women MPs have already demonstrated that they’re grounded in their communities, with many setting up surgeries even before they travelled to Westminster for the first time. Practical, tenacious, determined and empathetic, we can expect them to make a profound and lasting impact in their constituencies, too.
Inspired by Nicola’s absolute determination to see glass ceilings for women shattered in politics and elsewhere, we’ve worked hard in the party on providing a pathway to female success. There’s also no doubt that many were inspired by the referendum campaign, where women played such a positive role and often captured the agenda.
We’re not there yet: in terms of truly equal representation, there’s still work ahead. But we’ve achieved a big step forward at this election. Let’s take a moment to be proud – and then get on with showing the world exactly what we can do.
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