Harriet Harman has sparked controversy by suggesting that men should be "banned" from the next Labour leadership election. Speaking on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast, the former MP said: "The only way we'll have a woman leader of the Labour Party next time is if we start a conversation now where we say that actually, men cannot stand up for the leadership next time, because if men stand for the leadership next time, we'll have another…"
Encouraging women, discouraging men
Asked if she would suggest having an "all-women's list," Harman told Beth Rigby, "What we need to do is for women's ambition to be encouraged, and male ambition to be the next leader of the Labour Party, to be discouraged."
When Rigby quipped, "Do you think the next leader after Andy Burnham, then, whoever that may be, has to be a woman?" Harman replied: "Oh, I absolutely think so. And I think I'm going to be asking any really excellent young man MP, you know, rising star in the Labour Party, I'll be wanting to encourage and support them. But, I'll be saying to them, 'Are you going to support a woman next time? Or are you going to put yourself in front, and put a woman behind you?'"
Public reaction
Taking to the comments, viewers voiced their opinions on the matter. "Let me get this straight, the only way you can compete is if the competition isn't there," wrote one. "So discrimination is fine as long as it favors a woman?" added a second.
Among the comments, a number of X users also criticised Labour for being a "misogynistic" party, while noting that the Conservatives had already found a strong female leader in Kemi Badenoch. "Surely if the Tories can manage it, Labor can?" remarked one.
"Labour are f****d. The most misogynistic party of all. How come the 'evil' Tories have had three female prime ministers, and now a Nigerian female leader, and Labour still has hey up Andy Burnham. Labour, talk the talk but never walk the walk. Bullshit party," agreed another.
