The Scottish Labour Party is currently in the process of electing a new Leader and Deputy Leader. There are 3 candidates for Leader: Tom Harris MP, Johann Lamont MSP and Ken MacIntosh MSP, and three candidates for the Deputy Leadership: Ian Davidson MP, Lewis MacDonald MSP and Anas Sarwar MP.

This is an important moment for each of them to outline their views on improving the gender balance amongst Scottish Labour’s elected representatives, and on how they would reach out to women across the Party and the country. LWN has written to all candidates to ask how they would do this. The letter is below and we will publish each of the responses online.

There are three ways to get involved:

1. Send your ideas for improving gender balance in the Scottish Labour Party to LWN at lwnscotland@gmail.com. We’ll publish a selection on our website and compile them for the new leadership team in December.
2. Tweet your ideas to us at @LabourWomensNet
3. Tweet your ideas to leadership candidates on Twitter at @Tom4Scotland, @johannforleader, @CampaignKen,  @AnasSarwar using the hashtag  #lwn

So far, we have had responses from: 

Ken MacIntosh MSP

Anas Sarwar MP

LWN’s Letter to Leadership Candidates

Dear Candidate,

The Labour Women’s Network is an organisation of women members of the Labour Party dedicated to supporting Labour women to play a full part in the Party, and to securing the election of more Labour women to public office at every level. Between elections we run a training programme for all women in the Labour Party who are interested in seeking selection to public office.

We are writing to all candidates in the Scottish Leadership election to express our concerns that, in the recent Scottish Parliament elections, not only did a number of high-profile women MSPs decide to step down from the Scottish Parliament, but that every vacant, winnable constituency seat was filled by a male candidate.

As an organisation, we are proud that the Scottish Labour Party – and indeed the Labour party across the UK – has shown real political leadership in driving positive action in selection processes. Nobody in our movement wants the clock to be turned back on women’s representation. And so we are writing to ask your views on Scottish Labour’s record and your vision for women in Scotland. If you are successful in the forthcoming leadership elections:

1.  What you would do to champion positive action in elections and ensure that we take strides towards equal gender representation at every level?
2.  How would you ensure that Scottish Labour reaches out to women in our Party and across Scotland?
3.  What is your vision for tackling the gender inequalities that are so pervasive across Scottish society?

We will publish responses from all candidates on our website.

Finally, we also urge you to join (women), or become a supporter of (men), the Labour Women’s Network and help us to sustain the important work that we do. Please find a membership form enclosed. Alternatively, you can join online at:

http://www.lwn.org.uk/get-involved/join-lwn/

Yours,

Marie Birchall and Melanie Ward
Scottish Representatives, Labour Women’s Network