OVERALL COMMENTS

  1.  There needs to be a coherent strategy to encourage wider participation in the political process. For example the national curriculum should include more on politics and the political process. The White Paper New Opportunities—Fair chances for the future could have a stronger focus on the issues of diversity.

  2.  MPs and others who work in Parliament need to be more representative of the population at large. This would change the atmosphere within the building and its approach to work.

  3.  We need some real research into how women have got into parliament; one member's own rough observation is that women who succeeded had the right (male) connections. A comparison with the male experience would probably be useful.

  4.  We need to look at where potential women recruits are, what they are doing; are they trying to get selected/elected and failing or doing other things. What influences their attitudes to participation in political life? Is the constituency the best route for development; are there alternatives. Working class women who came into politics either through the unions or through local government often as a result of a specific cause/fight don't seem find their way into the political process. What is the modern equivalent?

  5.  Different types of electoral systems determine the level of participation. Those which use proportionality such as the Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament produce more balanced representation in terms of gender and ethnicity.

  6.  Constituency structures could be reviewed. Two constituencies could be merged and the new merged constituency could have two MPs—one man and one woman. It is recognised that this only explicitly addresses gender. It would result in 50% representation.

  7.  Each MP could have a small number of "community advisors" in their constituency—who could be a public appointment. They could be obliged to meet with them at least twice a year, and respond to their queries. The appointments could meet diverse criteria, and would increase awareness and accountability of the work of MPs in the constituency.

  8.  More family friendly hours that take in to account child rearing responsibilities of both mothers and fathers. Or better facilities to support women who might more recently have become mothers to stay involved.

General Comments on the brief

  9.  The Speaker's Conference brief should include analysis of social class/economic background

  10.  It should address diversity in public life at all levels, where the issues driving engagement and disengagement may be similar.

"The brief of the Speaker's Conference is quite narrow in focus. You only get diversity in public life, when the cultural climate is encouraged by all possible means at every level—from school governor or primary care trust, to local authorities, to public bodies and appointments, to Parliament which includes Commons and Lords."—Member, FWN.

  11.  If and when procedures and mechanisms are put into place, there should be accountability and a clear process for monitoring outcomes. This may be political parties, or other bodies.

THEME 1—EDUCATION

  12.  The Government's New Opportunities White Paper putting education at the core of the strategy for change. It calls for a challenging and relevant curriculum. Education at school should be not just in terms of the relevancy to the economy, in training for work, but in building the knowledge needed to participate in society, developing the interest and the reasons to take part. Is there more we can learn from the Scottish traditions, and consider what are the toolkits for public life. For example debating skills.

OTHER EDUCATION RELATED ISSUES

13.  Better communication and dissemination of the work in Parliament

  The internet should be utilised in order to provide information and access to the political process. At the moment the Parliamentary website is full of information. But how do we make it easier to access for the ordinary citizen? Can the issues being debated be explained more simply? Can there be more creative use of videos and other technology? The call from the Speaker's Conference for evidence could be more widely publicised. Schools could use this as a debating topic.

14.  Training about Parliamentary processes—Better, more extensive utilisation of resources available now

  Parliament already produces booklets to accompany a series of courses, on Parliament, these could be used. The courses are at present open to staff members only. These courses are popular—and often over subscribed. Can distilled modules be available more widely? Even by distance learning? Perhaps have a mini diploma in Parliamentary Studies available to anyone to register for?

15.  Extend the knowledge of the House of Commons

  Versions of the above courses could be run in community venues, to get younger and older people involved, and more diverse communities.

16.  Experiencing debate in an educational setting (like mock magistrates courts)

  When organisations are funded to bring educational events to young people it is fully attended and enjoyed. The Unlock Democracy event "People and Politics Day" was a resounding success, and brought about some enlightening feedback which should spur the development of many more of them.

17.  Bringing MPs' work to a wider audience

  There could some good practice guidance for MPs on activities they should undertake in a year to bring their work to a wider audience. Many do visit schools etc in their constituencies but this may not be done consistently. Meetings (in schools, communities) could be followed up by a greater numbers of visits to Parliament, and even a "walking tour" of Whitehall to explain where Government departments are housed.

"Where should we look for potential women candidates. Is the constituency the best route for development? Often the constituency office can be very masculine, with a strong attack mentality. It can, not consciously be unfriendly, with the few members knowing each other. All parties could hold open evenings, and again if the constituency office had a more information relevant to the House of Commons and democracy, it would come across as more relevant to peoples lives. I am struck by the lack of information when you pass an office of any party, how little there is to let the public know what the MP is doing."—Member, FWN.

18.  Advertising Democracy

  The Government often runs campaigns giving a specific message on what to do or what not to do (eg Complete tax return on time, Don't drink and drive.) Could the Government run one on developing participation explaining what the public can get involved in.

19.  Traditional or Modern

  Most would value much about the traditions and interest in our Parliamentary system, but is the balance in how we behave and what we emphasise right to generate interest in Parliament amongst citizens—that goes beyond superficial interest as a tourist and into a deeper interest about how the big questions of public debate today are being addressed?

"Public tours of Parliament only emphasise the Traditional. Start at the Royal end walking through to the Commons chamber, and Westminster Hall where the king was accused. Good historical stuff, but no mention of committee work, constituency business the work of scrutiny committees."—Member, FWN.

20.  The "Hereditary Principle"

  We now have extensive access to information on politics via the web but how does this get accessed and by whom? The White Paper New Opportunities acknowledges the strong influence of informal support. Those whose parents have experience of politics, like further education, are more likely to move into political work. This leads to the MP pool having less experience of wider society, contributing again to the lack of diversity in the House of Commons.

"I question whether the House of Commons would actually welcome a more diverse arrange of people—when Prescott entered Parliament some MPs shouted for a drink, a reference to his previous job as a waiter. Although I do not think this would be classed as appropriate now, is extremely difficult to see how a person with a working class accent could be taken seriously. Parliamentary estate and the people within it give a feeling that is one of male middle class domain. The question the Speaker's Conference addresses of diversity is an interesting excise, but where is the incentive to change. It is this that needs strongly addressing if you really want to rectify the: "disparity between the representation of women, ethnic minorities and disabled people in the House of Commons and there representation in the UK population at large." It will mean that those in positions of power not passing it on to their associates, but I am of the opinion that "like interviews like and like, likes itself"—Member, FWN.

21.  Media coverage

  Who covers politics? Who gets passes to Parliament to do so—and is this done in a way that meets modern consumer media needs?

"As politics in general seems to operate from the primary source of defend, deflect, attack; people and most poignantly women are often put off by this particularly masculine energy associated with politics today. Isn't it time that this changed in itself? I think this on a daily basis at work. I had a very interesting conversation once, with one Lesley Abdela, a UN advisor on Gender in Post Conflict Resolution Situations in war torn states. She informed me that she was the first ever political editor for Cosmopolitan magazine many years ago. She asked for a House of Commons pass to give women a better portal to the political world and was refused. This completely baffled me in this day and age. She too was baffled as she asked over and over for a period of years. She never received one, even though, thousands of women were likely to buy and engage in a good quality monthly magazine, rather than to pick up a newspaper with aggressive headlines."—Member, FWN.

  What positive experience counters the negative view of politics that emanates from most media channels? (Is there any good practice or advice that can be adopted from the Media Standards Trust?)

"If a little girl lives in a house with Daily Mail or Sun readers—do you think that she will grow up looking at the front page being inspired by the front page or the headlines of war or conspiracy?"

"Why can politics not be given a better representation? The 'one' it currently has is actually off putting for many women I know and many children want nothing to do with it. It is seen as .'Bad News'."—Member, FWN.

THEME 2—MPS, PARLIAMENTARY STAFF AND ELECTORAL SYSTEMS

  22.  When trying to deliver more diversity in the House of Commons, why not take into account not just the diversity with regards to MPs but others who work in Parliament, This could bring about: "a lessening of the masculine energy associated with politics today".

  23.  Political parties act as gate keepers to representation in the House of Commons At present there is no monitoring or scrutiny of the process. There should be. It may be seen that women are: "prejudiced against at the selection Stage; the bias at this point means women do not even get the chance to stand for Parliament. Discrimination by the selection committee is often cited (Rebecca Lucy Cracks in the Ceiling Fabian Review Winter 2008-09)

  24.  More family friendly working hours. It is not just the selection system that might need further scrutiny, but the quality of life of Members of Parliament once they are elected.

"Recent attempts to change or "modernise" the Commons have been useful—for example the Westminster Hall debating chamber, and the reduction in all night sittings, and the building of Portcullis House with its modern working facilities— but are meagre, still meet with constant resistance, and have not touched the House of Lords. They should go further."—Member, FWN.

  25.  There could be multi-seat constituencies rather than the present single member.

  26.  Time limiting the number of Parliaments an MP can remain in Parliament, would open up the House of Commons from a wider range of backgrounds as more constituencies each election became vacant.

  27.  Allow MPs to job share—this does not have to be between two women MPs. Job sharing is understood and accepted in almost all professions. How could it work in our democracy—what models could be applied? The standards and flexibility people want in their life needs to be accepted as part of the new reality, of the lives of modern men and women. It shouldn't mean they are any less capable of being political leaders.

ABOUT THE FABIAN WOMEN'S NETWORK

  The Fabian Women's Network brings people together to:

— Create a thriving network for social and political change.

— Connect Fabian networks with Fabian Women Parliamentarians.

— Provide new ways in which women from all backgrounds and sectors can engage in topical policy debates.

  There are approximately 1,500 women in the Fabian Society, and the approximately half were emailed for their input to this submission. The Fabian Women's Network, like the Fabian Society, does not form a collectivist view. This submission represents a collation of responses received from our membership so far with ideas that the Speaker's Conference could explore as part of its work programme.