2015 – well, it seemed like a pretty dire year for women in British politics. Although David Cameron appointed a record number of women to office, 191 out of 650 is still not great, and just because women now make up 29% of the lower chamber, it doesn't necessarily mean that policy is any more likely to swing in our favour now or over the next few years.
However, outside of the main two political parties, Conservative and Labour, women are ruling the roost. Nobody could forget the viral image of three leaders – Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National Party), Natalie Bennett (Green Party) and Leanne Wood (Plaid Cymru) – having a three-way hug whilst Ed Miliband looked on at the leaders’ debate.
Sturgeon was an emblem of success in the 2015 election; under her leadership, the SNP gained more votes and power than many thought possible. On top of this, Wood mentioned that part of her focus as leader would be on working class women, who are often hardest hit by Westminster politics.
Despite the rise in female representation in Parliament, the Tory government’s austerity politics have meant exactly what Wood predicted: policies that disproportionately harm women who need political support the most. For example, the Chancellor George Osborne – in an ironic move – decided that the £15 million a year made from the so-called 'Tampon Tax' would go back to funding women’s health charities and women's shelters. Sure, support for these refuges is desperately needed but not at the expense of women with periods only, but everyone.
In brief, then, it was a mixed year for women in the political sphere. Here, we look back at some of the key players of 2015 – particularly those left of the centre – who have really been shaking up British politics.
Diane Abbott , MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, British Labour Party politician and Shadow Secretary of State for International Development
There is no doubt that Diane Abbott is one of the United Kingdom’s most well known politicians. Abbott has been consistently vocal about her belief that we should not be bombing Syria, which led her to be attacked by her own party. She has been called a bully. And, even worse, the media decided to detract from Abbott's status as a top politician by attempting to define her through her previous relationship with Corbyn. A demonstration, perhaps, of how women in the world of politics are portrayed.
On top of that, Ms Abbott was told to "fuck off" by fellow Labour MP, Jess Phillips, over a row about the lack of women in top positions in the new Labour cabinet. To this, Abbott swiftly replied: "You aren’t the only feminist in the PLP [Parliamentary Labour Party]." Great to see politicians still vocally self-defining as feminists, whether or not they wear it on a t-shirt...
Photo: Rex
Mhairi Black, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South
For a lot of young, left-leaning people, one of the only highlights of the 2015 May election was Mhairi Black winning a place in Parliament... oh, and her "scandalous" drunken tweets (well, we've all been there). But what really won us over was Black’s passion. Despite being the youngest Member of Parliament for 250 years, Black is not afraid to make her opinions known and speak her mind. Not only has she come out with some hilarious remarks – such as describing Westminster as a place that "can’t make up its mind whether it’s a museum or functioning Parliament", she also stands firm on her beliefs and remains connected with the people. Her maiden speech in the Commons was endlessly reposted online. On her Facebook page, she reminded her fans to welcome the refugees living in or joining her constituency, and she recently left the Parliamentary Syria debate to encourage all of those outside protesting.
Photo: Rex
Natalie Bennett, politician, journalist and Green Party leader
As a female leader of a major British political party, Natalie Bennett’s very presence between the men should have caused a bit of a stir. But, as she told us, "Miliband and Farage just spoke over me on Question Time, I had to yell to get in. As a woman in politics, I am used to being talked over and treated differently…But the whole nature of Prime Minister's Questions or the House of Commons is hideous; we are met with a choice: either play the game or do politics in a different way". According to Bennett, us youths don’t wanna play by the stale old rules and, through Twitter, we might be changing politics forever. She added, "Politics this year has been broken wide open. For example, the Scottish National Party has taken many seats in Scotland and my party, the Greens, has received new membership and 1.1 million votes; this is a new age of multi-party politics and young people are more engaged than ever; 14-year-olds even find me interesting enough to follow on Twitter."
Photo: Rex
Sisters Uncut, feminist group taking direct action to defend domestic violence services
Purple and green plumes of smoke marked their presence when Sisters Uncut come out to reclaim the streets. This year, they dyed the fountain of Trafalgar Square red and threw themselves onto the carpet of the star-studded premier of the film S uffragette. Most political groups seem to end up centred on a celebrated individual (read: an old, white, grey-haired man) but Sisters Uncut are a collective who joined together because, as they put it: "We won't stand to see any more decimation of domestic violence services and refuse to be bystanders as more women suffer alone."
On top of that, they aren’t afraid of excluding men from their actions. While in Westminster the boys' club attitude is commonplace, Sisters recognise the importance of creating a safe space for women to come together. Given the online hounding of Bahar Mustafa earlier this year, it is pretty brave of them to openly admit that they are hoping to create a community in which women are given the opportunity to lead.
Although only established in November 2014, Sisters Uncut have been widely reported on due to their innovative tactics and methods of direct action. From their perspective, unconventional methods are necessary to cause a political shift. "We continue to be failed by those in power," they say. "So the numbers of people choosing to get involved in direct action is ever increasing."
Photo: Rex
Focus E15 Mothers, campaign group for social housing
The E15 Mothers embody the meaning of taking politics into your own hands. In the summer of 2014, 20-year-old Jasmin Stone and a group of other mums refused to be shipped out of their homes in Newham and into hostels. They fought the council by resisting eviction and occupying their flats. Their campaign gained overwhelming traction – and they became the subject of documentaries, held powerful protests and, more recently, are even the subject of a new play. But it wasn't enough to allow them and their children to hang on to their homes. Eventually they peacefully left.
This year, the police have attempted to clamp down on their campaigning. Stone was arrested this April on suspicion of squatting when she was occupying a building in protest. The group maintain that they, like others across Britain, are being targeted as victims of social cleansing, removed from their council homes and forced out of their cities. Follow them on Twitter to keep up with their activities.
Photo: Getty
English Collective of Prostitutes
During the summer, Amnesty International made a landmark decision by announcing that they supported the full decriminalisation of all aspects of consensual sex work. Groups such as the English Collective of Prostitutes have been campaigning for this since 1975, alongside better safety for sex workers and for economic alternatives that make it easier to leave the industry if one chooses.
On the 3rd of November, the Collective helped organise a symposium. The event was held at the House of Commons in order to give evidence at the request of MPs for information about the industry. The aim? To change the law and policy surrounding prostitution. Currently, selling sexual services is legal, but surrounding activities are not, and the ECP explained how events such as the Soho raids were putting those in the industry at risk. Not only did the members of the ECP show the value of lived experience to shaping policy, their actions also reveal how female sexuality and agency is still being policed in the political sphere.
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