Lack of women candidates in held seats highlighted

5.04.07pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 12th Jan 2007

Research by the Campaign for Gender Balance has highlighted a lack of women candidates in Lib Dem held seats. Across the 63 constituencies with a sitting Lib Dem MP, there are just 29 approved women candidates. 44 of these constituencies have no approved women candidates at all.

The party has been quite successful in improving gender balance by selecting women in target seats (40% at the last election), however in the 13 seats where sitting MPs stood down in 2001 and 2005, just one constituency selected a woman as the new candidate.

Jo Swinson, Chair of the Campaign for Gender Balance, commented, "Selecting women in seats where MPs stand down is important if we are to improve the gender balance of our Parliamentary Party. Given that we often make a virtue of our candidates being local, these figures showing a lack of local women candidates in held seats are certainly worrying. While we want more women candidates everywhere, the Campaign for Gender Balance recognises the particular challenge in held seats and will make a particular effort to encourage women in constituencies we hold."

The figures were circulated to all MPs this week, who have been asked to talent spot potential women candidates in their constituencies. Already the response has been encouraging with several suggesting the names of women who would make good candidates. The Campaign for Gender Balance will also be following up the recent letter to women Councillors with telephone calls in held seats.