Female Labour MPs are being targeted in deselection campaigns with an “element of misogyny”, a shadow minister said today.
Tracy Brabin, who took over murdered MP Jo Cox’s Yorkshire seat, claimed sexism was a factor in local Labour parties trying to oust their female MPs.
She also said Labour MPs who spoke out about anti-Semitism in Labour “need support” to face local challenges.
The former actress made the comments after concerns were raised about four female Labour MPs who have been threatened with deselection compared with just one man.
Ms Brabin, shadow minister for early years, told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “I think there is certainly an element of misogyny that goes on.”
Pressed on whether she thought misogyny motivated efforts to deselect female MPs, she replied: “Yes and certainly there are tensions within (local parties) and their MPs. I would say with MPs that have spoken out about anti-Semitism in the Labour Party — I think they need our support... we need to eradicate anti-Semitism completely from the Labour Party.”
Labour’s trigger ballot system gives local members the opportunity to make sitting MPs face a full reselection process.
Barking’s Jewish MP Dame Margaret Hodge and Hull North MP Diana Johnson have been “triggered” and Louise Ellman, Jewish MP for Liverpool Riverside, was called on to resign until the regional party intervened. A Labour source disputed women were being unfairly targeted.
