All-women short lists? Surely not!

David Cameron has come out in favour of all-women shortlists for the Conservative Party, or rather the Modern Conservatives. He thinks it's a good wheeze. Will get his benches filled with Dave's Babes just like Blair did in 1997 for his side of the House, so it will. It's probably a sign of the times. It's not really democracy as we know it. More a kind of set menu instead of a la carte.

I wonder what those great Tory women MPs of the past would have made of it. Imagine Margaret Thatcher pitted against five other women. How did she get selected at Finchley? Was she favoured in some way? I rather doubt it.

Edwina Currie, Dame Jill Knight, Nancy Astor, Peggy Fenner, Lady Olga Maitland, Dame Irene Ward (plus large hat!), Ann Widdecombe, Angela Rumbold, Joan Hall and Lady Tweedsmuir are ten notable women who have served the Conservative Party with both distinction and independent minds. Get those ten in a room (if only it were possible!) and get Dave to tell them that they faced an all-women shortlist and he may very well get a load of all-women short shrift!

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