The thinking was that with enough women, the Commons would change. Laughably sexist of course - as the women the Commons attracts naturally like it as it is.

Whether the Commons will alter itself before it is pushed into rubber stamp irrelevance by direct media politics is also a good question.

And deprive myself - and my Mrs - of one of life’s few pleasures?

DE,

I assume there would be the same percentage of excellent and average women candidates

Well, I might write a post on this one…

But if you’re referring to ability, intelligence and so on I agree. Maybe the standard of female candidates would be higher than men.

Since schoolgirls are, apparently, superior to schoolboys in academic and intelligence measures (and, I suspect, in all else too)there’s little reason to believe this superiority doesn’t carry over into adult life.

But whether the nature of politics itself - sometimes dishonest, vulgar, aggressive and dirty - is such that women can as easily fit in (lower themselves) as can men is another matter altogether.

And whether the nigh-on 24 hour a day demands of the profession can fit in with a woman’s family life (and that’s a comment that’ll have me hung) is yet another.

Yes there should be more women in politics. But one should be adressing why there are so few coming forward for selection, not artificially comprising lists of candidates who meet certain criteria - namely having no tackle.

Maybe you should cut yours off Gary - at least then you would be part of a minority group!