Congress passed a rule last year stating that all winnable local election seats should be contested by at least 50% women. In my area this has led to hard working and previously loyal male councillors being deselected and replaced by, in some instances, candidates with little or no support within the local branch. We've already seen some councillors go independent, others will no doubt sit on their hands when it comes to delivering the leaflets and I wouldn't want to be a candidate in Easington where the whole CLP has been suspended! This rule may well have been borne of good intentions but its effect so far has been to deplete still further our diminishing ranks. MP's,ministers and the NEC need to sit up and take notice of this rule and get it changed before our core goes below a sustainable level!