Women's Equality Party

History

On 2 March 2015, author and journalist Catherine Mayer attended a "Women in Politics" event at the Women of the World Festival (Purcell Room, Southbank Centre). The panel was chaired by Jude Kelly (Artistic Director, Southbank Centre), and the panel consisted of Katie Ghose (CEO, Electoral Reform Society), Margot James (Conservative), Stella Creasy (Labour) and Jo Swinson (Lib Dem). Having watched the panelists agreeing collegially with each other on almost every point Mayer stood up and said, "What about if I found a Women's Equality Party, tell you what, I'm going to go to the bar afterwards, anyone interested in discussing this come and see me."

On 8 March 2015, at the same festival, comedian Sandi Toksvig presented an event entitled "Sandi Toksvig's Mirth Control: Stand Up and Be Counted" (Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre). Interviewed by Jenni Murray on the BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, Toksvig said, "I had a fantasy cabinet of women, and I didn't care which party they came from, we had Doreen Lawrence as our Home Secretary. Can you imagine anything more wonderful? We had paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson as our Sports Minister, and I asked them to put forward practical suggestions. The world is in a parlous state, 9.1 million women failed to vote in the last election, we need to attract them, we also need to attract the more than 7 million men who didn't vote. Why are people not engaged in politics, because I don't think that the people standing represent the diversity of this country." Mayer phoned Toksvig and the two agreed to become co-founders of the party.

First meeting

The first meeting of the as yet unnamed party was 28 March 2015. Speakers included: Suzanne Moore who had previously stood for Parliament as an independent candidate, Sophie Walker who spoke on careers, parenting and ensuring that both parents have opportunities in both, Halla Gunnarsdóttir who described a women's equality party in Iceland, and Hannah McGrath who discussed the practicalities of starting a party. The meeting was covered on Woman's Hour and by the press, including Glamour Magazine and London Evening Standard.

Second meeting

A second meeting took place at the Conway Hall, also in London, on 18 April 2015, and included Sandi Toksvig, Mandy Colleran, Nimko Ali, Shabnam Shabazi and Stella Duffy as speakers.

On 30 April 2015, Toksvig announced that she was leaving her position as compère of BBC Radio 4's The News Quiz in order to help set up the new political party named the Women's Equality Party. Speaking at the Hay Festival in May, Toksvig reported that since she had announced the move on BBC One's The One Show, she had been subjected to a significant level of abuse online.

Registration and appointment of leader

The Women's Equality Party was registered with the Electoral Commission on 20 July 2015. On 22 July, Reuters journalist Sophie Walker was announced as the party's first leader.

Political aims

The party's mission statement opens with: "Equality for women isn't a women's issue. When women fulfill their potential, everyone benefits. Equality means better politics, a more vibrant economy, a workforce that draws on the talents of the whole population and a society at ease with itself".

Describing the six aims Mayer said, "It's a very narrow palette, we're not looking to be a party that can answer questions about what should be done in the Ukraine, or trying to have a platform on the environment or anything else, we are focusing absolutely narrowly on that equality agenda." Party leader Walker agrees, "We won’t have policies on other issues. We are going to concentrate, laser-like, on all of the above, to make them happen. And we will welcome people from any other political party that agrees with our values of diversity and inclusivity to work with us." However, Walker has promised that the party’s working definition of the word "woman", as well as more detail on the party's policy, following consultation with party members.

Early indications of what to expect included Walker's call for a gender quota system to select MPs at the next two elections so that equal representation can be achieved in the House of Commons by 2025. Walker has also called for six weeks paid leave, at 90% pay, for both parents after having a baby, as well as an extra 10 months of shared leave at statutory pay. Writing in the Mirror Toksvig stated that the party further proposes that industrial tribunal costs be reduced from over £1,000 to "£50 for those who can afford it" in order to "empower all women to speak out about sexism at work."

Policy launch

The party launched its full set of policies on 20 October 2015 at Conway Hall.

First party conference

The inaugural Women's Equality Party conference took place in Manchester on 25–27 November 2016, with opening speeches by founders Catherine Mayer and Sandi Toksvig on the first day, and Sophie Walker's leader's speech on the second day.

Motions carried at the conference include: a motion to expand the UK's definition of hate crime to include misogyny; a motion to strengthen the legislation for carers who need flexible working arrangements; and a motion to fully decriminalise abortion across the UK, the current Abortion Act excludes Northern Ireland.

Additional party goal

A seventh goal of the party was added to the existing six at the party's first conference.

The party's name

The party's name was "debated and discussed at two public meetings". Toksvig was asked why the party is called the Women's Equality Party, rather than just the Equality Party, she answered, "Because there is a huge issue, women are certainly not equal.... It's time that women, finally, after all these years, what is it, almost a hundred years since we finally got the vote, it's time we stepped up and took our equal place in society." She also stated the party's motto "Equality is better for everybody." Mayer has also stated, "I’m very happy with the name: all genders are joining us and I hope they continue to. More than half the population is living in inequality and that is genuinely not good for everyone, economically or culturally."

2015

The party did not field any candidates in the 2015 UK general election, but plans to do so in 2020. Walker told BBC Radio Wales Sunday Supplement programme that the party would be taking a non-partisan approach to elections, stating that "We will be undertaking consultations with our members and deciding which seats to target". Figures from the party have suggested that there is a possibility that an existing Member of Parliament (MP) might defect to the party before the party contests an election, citing the example of how the UK Independence Party got its first MPs. Initially Walker neither ruled in or out the possibility of a WE candidate for the 2016 London mayoral election: "We'd like to. It's a £20,000 losable deposit, though. If you're Zac Goldsmith that's not such a big deal but if a woman from a normal background wants to speak out for women and do it with the mayorship, automatically she's almost excluded". However, in October the party announced its intention to field candidates in the 2016 London Assembly election.

2016

Following various fundraisers the party was able to field candidates in the 2016 London Mayoral election (Walker plus candidates for the London-wide list); Scottish Parliament election, Glasgow region (Anne Beetham, Susan Mackay, Ruth Wilkinson, Calum Shepherd, Penelope Haddrill, Carol Young) and Lothian region (Lee Chalmers, Jennifer Royston, Catriona MacDonald and Abigail Herrmann); and the Welsh Assembly election in South Wales Central (Sharon Lovell, Emma Rose, Sarah Rees and Ruth Williams).

Supporters of WE's election bid included: Emma Thompson, Lily Allen, Hugh Quarshie, Tanya Moodie, Philippa Perry, Jack Monroe, Jo Brand, Rosie Boycott and Caitlin Moran.

Although the party did not win any seats in the elections, Walker gained 53,055 votes (2.04%) in the first round of voting for London mayor. Their best result was on the London-wide list where the party finished sixth with 91,772 votes (3.5%).

Anne Beetham gained 2,091 votes (0.8%) in Glasgow and Lee Chalmers gained 3,877 votes (1.2%) in Lothian. Overall that gave WE 5,968 votes, 0.3% of the Scottish vote.

Sharon Lovell, Emma Rose, Sarah Rees and Ruth Williams gained 2,807 votes, 1.2% of the total vote in South Wales Central.

The overall total number of votes cast for the party in Scotland, Wales and London was 350,000.

2017

Tabitha Morton from Netherton is standing in the Liverpool City Region mayoral election.

Membership and local organisations

1,300 people are reported to have joined the party on the day that it opened up membership, which costs £4 per month. In the first financial year the party raised £512,219 in membership fees. As of 13 October 2015, 65 local and regional Women's Equality Party groups had been founded, and as of July 2016 the party reported that it had 65,000 members. The WEP was described as "the fastest growing political force in the UK" in a Daily Telegraph article on the party's campaigning for the May 2016 London mayoral election.

Fundraising and donations

The party's first fundraiser, held in front of 400 people, including businesswoman Martha Lane Fox, took place at Conway Hall on 9 June 2015. In September the same year Toksvig announced the dates for a comedy tour to raise funds for the party. In the party's first year £38,528 was raised through fundraising activities and £79,212 was raised through donations.

The artist Damien Hirst created a piece of work for auction entitled "Spin Drawing for Women's Equality" (2015). The piece contained the party's colours and raised £20,000 when it was auctioned in April 2016. The artists Jake and Dinos Chapman also began an underground, guerrilla campaign stamping the words "Womens Equality Party" onto 2p coins and then returning them to circulation.

Criticism

A year prior to the creation of WE, Suzanne Moore suggested in The Guardian that a feminist party should be formed, saying, "...the false doctrine of austerity has meant that women, single mothers in particular, and public sector workers in general, have been at the frontline of this war. They have been demonised and subject to punitive cuts." Writing in The Telegraph, Kate Maltby responded by saying, "My feminism is directly tied to a commitment to meritocracy and individual flourishing...if her [Moore's] grand new feminist party kicks off by nationalising private property, I'm hardly going to be able to sign up".

The British edition of GQ has also accused the party of "alienating 50 per cent of the electorate", adding that, "while the WEP may aim to appeal to both female Tory voters and female Labour voters, it doesn't take away from the implicit suggestion that the party – which aims for 'diverse' membership – is still aimed almost solely at women".

The party has also been accused of being "both too ambitious and not ambitious enough", that, in order to maintain traction, it ought to concentrate on just one issue, e.g., quotas in the boardroom.