Lanark and Hamilton East MP Angela Crawley marked 150 years since the beginning of the ‘Votes for Women’ campaign. 

On 7 June 1866 Millicent Fawcett presented the first Suffrage petition to Parliament. The petition led to the first debate on votes for women.

However, despite progress being made, the local MP pointed to disparities between male and female MPs in Parliament, saying: “One hundred and fifty years after the campaign began, there are still 140% more men than women in the House of Commons. This is a historic injustice and a democratic deficit.

The local MP added:

“On the basis of the progression over the last 10 elections it will take until 2050 for there to be a gender balanced Parliament – that is simply not good enough.

“Women have been campaigning too long for equality – another election without parity is too long to wait, never mind waiting another six elections.

“Because when women are not in positions of power, legislation does not fit their needs.

“As President Obama pointed out recently in response to a question on the tampon tax, “men were making the laws when those taxes were passed”

“When it comes to running the country and planning the future of society, women’s experience is as relevant and as important as men’s.

“We now have women leaders in every walk of life, in politics, in business, in law and everywhere else – its 2016, Westminster needs to get with the times.