The comedian Sandi Toksvig has revealed she quit BBC Radio 4’s News Quiz to enter the political fray.
But instead of aligning herself with any mainstream group, Toksvig has helped set up a new political party: the Women’s Equality party.
Speaking on Woman’s Hour on Radio 4, Toksvig, who announced earlier this week that she was leaving the News Quiz after nine years, said the party would field candidates in 2020, adding that it was “very possible” they would get an MP elected.
“I have made jokes over and over again about politics and, do you know, this election I’ve had enough,” she said.
“And I have decided that instead of making jokes about it, I need to participate. So I am involved in the founding of a new political party.
“It’s called the Women’s Equality party. It is a fantastic group of women – and indeed men – who have decided that enough is enough and we need to make some changes.”
Asked why she was entering politics, Toksvig said the world was “in a parlous state” and she wanted to do more to attract the 9 million women – and 7 million men – who did not vote in the last election. “Why are people not engaging with politics? Because I don’t think the people standing represent the diversity of this country.”
Fighting for women’s equality was a “huge issue”, she added. “Women are certainly not equal. How is it that we still have a pay gap? What is it, 45 years since the Equal Pay Act?”
“On average for part-time work, women are paid 35% less than men. How is that possible? Ten per cent less in full-time employment. It’s the Women’s Equality party because unless we access all the talents in this country we’re not going to succeed. Equality’s better for everybody.”
Co-founders of the party include the author and former Time magazine editor-at-large Catherine Mayer. According to the party’s Facebook page, the group welcomes men under the message “Equality for women isn’t a women’s issue. When women fulfil 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.”
The party will push for equal representation in politics and business, education, equal pay and equal parenting rights and seek an end to violence against women.
Toksvig was clear about why she had not joined an established political party. “Most of the mainstream parties seem to treat women’s issues as if we were a minority group rather than, in fact, what we are, which is the majority of the country,” she said.
“So you get separate women’s manifestos, or you get childcare talked about as if it was only a woman’s issue, and if Ukip and the Green party have taught us anything, actually pushing our agenda from the outside and pushing the mainstream parties to pay attention is much more successful.”
