At Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday 15^th July Anne sought assurance from the Prime Minister that the Government would accept the proposals of the Speaker’s Conference for an increase in the numbers of women, disabled and ethnic minority MPs.

As the Vice-Chair of the Speaker’s Conference Anne called on all political parties to take immediate action to change the culture of politics and make the House of Commons more representative of society.

The Conference is recommending that across the vacated Parliamentary seats the parties:

•           promote equality by selecting at least 50 % women as candidates;

•           ensure that a significantly greater proportion of candidates than at the 2005 election are selected with BME backgrounds;

•           seek to encourage a wider placement of BME candidates across the country than was present at the 2005 election;

•           ensure that a significantly greater proportion of candidates who identify as disabled are selected than at the 2005 election.

At the publication of the Speaker’s Conference Report Anne said, “Despite recent changes, MPs remain predominantly white, male, middle-aged and middle-class.

“The choices local and national political parties make as to the candidates who will represent them at the next election will be central to shaping what the next House of Commons looks like, and the extent to which it is genuinely changed.  Increasing the diversity of MPs – having more women MPs, more BME and disabled MPs, who can speak in our debates with the authority of lived experience – would make the House of Commons a more legitimate, credible and effective legislature.

“The political parties will be selecting candidates for their vacant seats over the next few months.  For a local party to select a capable candidate from an under-represented group is a really practical way for that party to demonstrate its support for political and Parliamentary reform."