the total membership, legislation was enacted on the minimum wage, family-friendly flexible working and
violence against women.
But change did not happen purely by chance. A small number of the women who stood as Labour
candidates in that election were selected by constituencies from all-women shortlists. All-women
shortlists were used again by the Labour party in 2005 and will be used for the forthcoming General
Election. The Report acknowledges that such measures remain contentious, but goes on to say that
“using them … helped to make the 1997 Parliament very different from its predecessors.”
The Report also notes that all of the main political parties agree that Parliament should be more diverse,
and that all have taken some measures to support their commitment to greater diversity and openness in
public life. This has resulted in wider diversity of candidates in all parties.
Nevertheless the Conference believed that this was not enough, and that further action to widen diversity
should be taken now.