- Dawn Butler said Theresa May and Margaret Thatcher did nothing for women
- Shadow women’s secretary defended her party’s failure to elect a female leader
- Will spark fury among those who see May and Thathcer smash glass cieling
A Labour frontbencher today said Theresa May is ‘no friend of women’ – as she desperately tried to defend her party’s failure to elect a female leader.
Dawn Butler, the shadow women’s secretary, said the PM and Margaret Thatcher have done ‘absolutely nothing’ for women during the time in No10.
And she defended her party over its failure to ever put a woman in the top job saying policies for women are about more than just having a female leader.
Her comments will enrage Tories and Britons who saw Mrs Thatcher smash the glass ceiling by rising to become Britain’s most senior – and respected – politician.
Labour has faced stinging criticism for its claims to be the only party to further women’s rights while it stubbornly refuses to elect one as leader.
Labour frontbencher Dawn Butler said Theresa May and Margaret thatcher were no friend to women and did nothing to help women during their time in No10
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live’s Pienaar’s Politics, Ms Butler said: ‘I always like to see women in power, that goes without saying and I am sure at some point we will have a female prime minister.
‘But let me tell you something, Theresa May is female but she is no friend of women.’
She added: ‘It’s not just about having a female leader, it’s about people that actually care about the issues and Jeremy cares about the issues and he cares about women and he cares about what happens to this country.
‘So yes, I would love to see a female Labour prime minister, but the female Tory Prime ministers that we’ve had have done absolutely nothing for women.’
The Tories have elected two female leaders Theresa May and Margaret Thatcher. But despite never having elected a woman to their own party leadership Labour stubbornly insist they are the only part who boost women[s rights
It comes after she suggested that Parliament will only achieve true equality when there are as many ‘rubbish women’ as there are ‘rubbish men’.
She said that female MPs ‘always have to be quite spectacular’ while their male counterparts can get away with being mediocre – or worse.
Many female Labour politicians have admitted their party has a problem with sexism in its ranks.
The issue rose to the fore again last year when Labour MP Angela Eagle threw her hat in the ring to challenge Jeremy Corbyn for the leadership – only to be swiftly shunted to the sidelines as Owen Smith was selected to mount the challenge.
The male Welsh MP failed woefully in his bid to unseat the left-winger and the challenge was seen to strengthen Mr Corbyn’s position rather than harm it.