Andy, I agree that a regional and sub-regional view is important. I speak as a man who had his eye on a seat myself (one of those you've mentioned) that was then declared AWS. I accept though that to be succesful electorally and in Governement you need to be able to appeal across the genders (nothing quite like a role model or a few hundered actually) and get different (in this case, gender) perspectives on policy issues. I'm sure there'll be other opportunities for me.

Take where I was born, Scotland, for example, where 2 Labour MPs with thumping majorities whose seats are right next door to each other, Rosemary McKenna (in Cumbernauld & Kilsyth) and John Reid (Airdrie & Shotts) have announced their retirement.

Scotland has a grand total of 7 female Labour MPs out of about 40. It was given dispensation from applying the internal party rules about AWS last time round because of the boundary changes. And its about to lose 1 of its longest serving female MPs - yes, there isn't a current female Labour MP representing a Scottish seat who was elected prior to 1997. 

If the gossip eminating from circles close to one of the female members of the NEC are to be believed then they've agreed that Cumbernauld & Kilsyth will be an open selection (cause there needs to be more male Labour MPs from Scotland!) and they have delayed a decision on Airdrie & Shotts. 

Third hand gossip told me, cause I went looking for info after hearing about it, that the air in the members tea room in North Lanarkshire Council was blue with Labour Councillors threatening to resign the whip if the seat was an AWS and that a group of them had got together and written to the NEC with their complaint.

Was the decision delayed so that the rules, as you've stated above, could be ignored and both seats be determined as open .... ?

I've just had a look at the Council website and there doesn't seem to be a single female Labour Councillor in either Airdrie, Shotts or the neighbouring town of Coatbridge with less than a handful (out of about 40 or 50) from some of the other local towns. What happened to the party rules that all other regions with multi-member wards had to adhere to where there had to be a minimum of one woman candidate in every ward? 

The Labour Group in the Scottish Parliament is only as balanced as it is because the party dreamed up a twinning system, like there was in London for the GLA too, where each group of 2 CLPs had to select 1 man and 1 woman. At least one of those woman has already been hounded out by the local male dominated party.

Are we about to see yet more exemptions for Scotland because the male dominated party kicks up a stink about their own self-interests? I'm sure they'll say they want more women in politics - just as long as it doesn't happen in their back yard.....

When are the Scottish party, and its female General Secretary, going to realise that continuing the male, matcho political style of the 1980's belongs exactly there and is probably a contributory factor to the electoral misfortunes that have befallen them.

Come on lads, get a grip! Progress is a good thing.

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