Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Conservatism, feminisation and the representation of women in UK politics

  • Original Article
  • Published:
British Politics Aims and scope

Abstract

The Feminization of the Conservative party was one of the most visible leitmotifs of Cameron’s modernization strategy in the period 2005–2010. In this article we assess the extent to which the party, while in coalition with the Liberal Democrats from 2010–2015, delivered on its pre-2010 commitments for women. We consider two dimensions of feminizing politics; the descriptive representation of women within the Conservative party in the House and in Government, and the substantive representation of women’s interests in the form of policy programmes and legislation. In respect of descriptive representation we find that the Conservative party has faltered since 2010: refusing to use quotas and even dropping the 2010 ‘A list’ equality promotion strategy. Turning to the substantive representation of women it is clear that the Conservative party has instituted an array between these inclinations, although there is a tension between the party’s liberal inclinations and its continued emphasis on the value of the traditional family. A more radical critique is levelled at the party’s commitment to financial austerity and the disproportionate effect this has had on women; the question as to whether women are viewed as the target of spending cuts or collateral damage depends on whether one employs an economically liberal or more leftist definition of feminization.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Whether Mrs Thatcher constituted a role model for women in politics has not been the subject of systematic academic research. See Childs (2004) for discussion of New labour women MPs and role models. Anecdotally Conservative women MPs have spoken of her influence on their political participation.

  2. 101/120; 95/118; 98/128; 81/143 in 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2010, respectively.

  3. See Appendix for the Party’s response to the Women In Parliament APPG’s request for information regarding Speaker’s Conference Recommendations.

  4. See the debate in The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/aug/22/women and The Subversive Cupcake company http://subversivecupcakes.co.uk/?page_id=28 and on the F Word http://www.thefword.org.uk/features/2012/08/cupcake_feminis

  5. Added to these considerations should be the acknowledgement that any consensus of a straightforward relationship between descriptive and substantive representation has been questioned by scholars: whether a political party or government acts for women is much more complicated than the number of women MPs present in the political institution.

  6. Note of course the rise of third and fourth wave feminism and debates about whether these go with or against the grain of neo-liberalism. See Evans (2015); Benn (2013a, 2013b), not least in respect of the emphasis on cultural rather than material critiques.

  7. Evans notes how such neo-liberal feminist discourse is evident in claims made by politicians across the political spectrum.

  8. Evans that what counts as ‘left’ on the party spectrum in the United Kingdom is some distance from the left of extra-parliamentary politics. Personal correspondence.

  9. See Celis and Childs (2012) for a discussion of three criteria by which to ‘test’ the quality of representative claims made by conservative representatives: (i) the strength of the relationship with consv women’s concerns in society; (ii) correspondence between a particular claim(s) and subsequent action; (iii) how particular claim(s) fit with other claims.

  10. See Evans (2015) for discussion of contemporary feminist movement politics in the United Kingdom and the United States.

  11. Hof C 2014 SN/HA/4324.See also CEDAW (2011).

  12. Bale (2010, p. 340) writes of concerns that the policy would render the ‘left and abandoned wife worse off than a man on his fourth marriage’.

  13. This intervention restated some of his comments made back in 2008 (Hayton, 2010, p. 497). But see also Stephenson 2014.

  14. Hayton (2010) suggests that Cameron at least in 2010 had been able to balance marriage with a tolerance of other groups.

  15. Bale (2010, p. 340) writes that mdoernizers were worried about Cameron’s closeness to IDS.

  16. Such criticism speaks of course to the already noted feminist debates regarding neo-liberalism.

References

  • Annesley, C, Gains, F. and Rummery, K. (2007) Women and New Labour: Engendering Politics. Bristol: Policy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Annesley, C. and Gains, F. (2014) ‘Can Cameron Capture Women’s Votes? The Gendered Impediments to a Conservative Majority in 2015’. Parliamentary Affairs.

  • APPG WIP (2014) Improving Parliament. http://issuu.com/appgwinp/docs/appg-report-online-final/1?e=12673634/8581247.

  • Ashe, J., Campbell, R., Childs, S. and Evans, E. (2010) Stand by your man. British Politics 5 (4): 455–480.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bale, T. (2010) The Conservative Party. Cambridge: Polity.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bale, T. (2012) Whither the Tory left? The demise of progressive conservatism. Public Policy Research 19 (2): 84–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bashevkin, S. (1998) Women on the Defensive. Chicago, IL: CUP.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benn, M. (2012) is actually Benn 2013b. What Should we Tell our Daughters. London: Hodder and Stougton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benn, M. (2013a) After post‐feminism: Pursuing material equality in a digital age. Juncture 20 (3): 223–227.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benn, M. (2013b) What Should We Tell Our Daughters? London: Hodder.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryson, V. (2012) As austerity measures begin to take full effect the gap between the Conservative party’s ‘women friendly’ rhetoric and reality will become more apparent. http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/category/valerie-bryson/.

  • Bryson, V. and Heppell, T. (2010) Conservatism and feminism: The case of the British conservative party. Journal of Political Ideologies 15 (1): 31–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buckler, S. and Dolowitz, D. (2012) Ideology matters: Party competition, ideological positioning and the case of the consv party under David Cameron. The British Journal of Politics and International Relations 14: 576–594.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, B. (1987) Iron Ladies. London: Virago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, B. (2013) End of Equality. London: Seagull.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, R. and Childs, S. (2010) Wives, wags and mothers …. But what about women MPs, sex and gender at the 2010 general election. In: A. Geddes and J. Tonge (eds.) Britain Votes: The 2010 General Election, Special Edition Of Parliamentary Affairs, 63(4) Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, R. and Childs, S. (2014) ‘To the left, to the right’, representing conservative women’s interests. Party Politics.

  • Campbell, R. and Childs, S. (2015) What the coalition did for women: A new gender consensus, coalition division and gendered austerity. In: A. Seldon and M. Finn (eds.) The Coalition Effect. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, R., Childs, S. and Lovenduski, J. (2006) Equality guarantees and the conservative party. Political Quarterly 7 (1): 18–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Celis, K. (2004) ‘Substantive and Descriptive Representation: Investigating the Impact of the Voting Right and of Descriptive Representation on the Substantive Representation of Women in the Belgian Lower House (1900-1979)’, Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Chicago, IL, September 2-5.

  • Celis, K. and Childs, S. (2012) The substantive representation of women: What to do with conservative claims? Political Studies 60 (1): 213–225.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Celis, K., Childs, S., Kantola, J. and Krook, M.L. (2014) Constituting women’s interests through representative claims. Politics and Gender 10 (2): 149–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Centre for Women and Democracy (CWD), http://www.cfwd.org.uk/.

  • Charsley, K., Storer-Church, B., Benson, M. and Van Hear, N. (2012) ‘Marriage Related Migration in the UK’. International Migration Review 46 (4): 861–890.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CEDAW (2011) CEDAW/C/GBR/7.

  • Childs, S. (2004) New Labour’s Women MPs. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Childs, S. (2008) Women and British Party Politics. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Childs, S. and Webb, P. (2012) Sex, Gender and the Conservative Party: From Iron Lady to Kitten Heels. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Childs, S. and Webb, P. (2014) Women, the family and contemporary conservative party politics: From Thatcher to Cameron. In: S. Farrall and C. Hay (eds.) The Legacy of Thatcherism. London: British Academy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Childs, S., Webb, P. and Marthaler, S. (2010) Constituting and substantively representing women: Applying new approaches to a UK case study. Politics and Gender 6 (2): 176–192.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Benedictis, S. (2012) Feral’ parents: Austerity parenting under neoliberalism. Studies in the Maternal 4 (2).

  • Dillard, A. D. (2005) Adventures in conservative feminism. Society 42 (3).

  • Dodson, D. L. (2006) The Impact of Women in Congress. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Dovi, S. (2007) The Good Representative. Oxford: Blackwell.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Dovi, S. (2008) Theorizing women’s representation in the United States. In: C. Wolbrecht, K. Beckwith and L. Baldez (eds.) Political Women and American Democracy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erzeel, S. and Celis, K. (2009) Women, feminists and the left: Critical actors in the substantive representation of women? A cross-national study of MPs and the substantive representation of women. Paper presented at the ECPR General Conference, Potsdam, 10–12 September.

  • Evans, E. (2015) Title TBC. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fawcett Society Women and the Economy. http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/our-work/campaigns/women-economy/.

  • IPPR (2013) Great Expectations, Exploring the Promises of Gender Equality. London: IPPR.

  • Fraser, N. (2009) Feminism, and the cunning of history. New Left Review 56.

  • Gamble, A. (1994) The Free Economy and the Strong State. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Gill, A. (2011) Exploring the Viability of Creating a specific Offence for Forced Marriage in England and Wales: Report on Findings. University of Roehampton, July.

  • Gill, A. and Mitra-Kahn, T. (2012) Modernising the other: Assessing the ideological underpinnings of the policy discourse on forced marriage in the UK. Policy and Politics 14 (1): 107–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayton, R. (2010) Conservative party modernisation and David Cameron’s politics of the family. Political Quarterly 81 (4): 492–500.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heppell, T. (2012) Ministerial selection and the Cameron govt: Female ministerial repre and the one-third objective. Representation 48 (2): 209–219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heppell, T. (2013) Cameron and liberal conservatism. Bitish Journal of Politics and International Relations 15: 340–361.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heppell, T. and Lightfoot, S. (2012) We will not balance the books on the backs of the poorest people in the world: Understanding conservative party strategy on international aid. Political Quarterly 83 (1): 130–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hester, M., Chantler, K., Gangoli, G., Devgon, J., Sharma, S. and Singleton, A. (2008) Forced marriage: The risk factors and the effect of raising the minimum age for a sponsor, and of leave to enter the UK as a spouse or fiancé(e), www.bristol.ac.uk/vawrg.

  • Hill, M. (2013) Arrogant posh boys? The social composition of the parliamentary conservative party and the effect of Cameron’s ‘A’ list’. Political Quarterly 84 (1): 80–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • House of Commons Library (2014) Human trafficking: UK Responses, SN/HA/4324.

  • House of Commons Home Affairs Committee (2011) Forced Marriage, Eighth Report of Session 2010–2012.

  • Jenkinson, S. and Tapp, D. Forced Marriage – Culture or Crime?.

  • Kerr, P., Byrne, C. and Foster, E. (2011) Theorizing Cameronism. Political Studies 9: 193–207.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kittlison, M. and Caul (2006) Challenging Parties, Changing Parliaments. Columbus: Ohio State Univ. Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Larner, W. (2000) Neo-liberalism: Policy, ideology, governmentality. Studies in Political Economy 63 (Autumn): 5–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lovenduski, J. (2005) Feminizing Politics. Cambridge: Polity.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacLeavy, J. (2011) A ‘new politics’ of austerity, workfare and gender? The UK coalition govt’s welfare reform proposals. Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society 4: 355–367.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McRobbie, A. (2013) Feminism, the family and the new ‘mediated’ maternalism. New Formations: A Journal of Culture/Theory/Politics 80: 80–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norris, P. and Lovenduski, J. (1995) Political Recruitment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quin, T., Barra, J. and Bartle, J. (2011) The UK coalition agreement of 2010: Who won’. Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties 21 (2): 295–312.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reingold, B. (2008) Legislative Women, Getting Elected, Getting Ahead. Colorado: Reiner.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rasmussen, J. (1981) Female political career patterns and leadership disabilities in Britain. Polity 13 (4): 600–620.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruiz-Jimenez, A. M. (2009) Women and decision making participation within rightist parties in Portugal and Spain. Analise Social 44 (191): 235–263.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutter (2014) is referenced in the attached footnote: http://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/blog/8785/family-friendly-government/.

  • Schreiber, R. (2008) Righting Feminism. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Speaker’s Conference (2010) Speaker's Conference (on Parliamentary Representation). http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/spconf/239/239i.pdf.

  • Stephenson, M.A (2014) Misrepresentation and omission – An analysis of the review of the public sector equality duty. Political Quarterly 85 (1): 75–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tax, Marriage & Transferable Allowances SN4392 (2014) Antony Seely, Business and Transport Section. House of Commons Library.

  • Walby, S. and Towers, J. (2012) Measuring the impact of cuts in public expenditure on the provision of services to prevent violence against women and girls. Safe – The Domestic Abuse Quarterly 41.

  • WBG (2010a) Spending Review 2010. WBG, http://www.wbg.org.uk/RRB_Reports_4_1653541019.pdf.

  • WBG (2010b) 2010 Budget. WBG, http://wbg.org.uk/documents/WBG_Emergency_Budget_Response_June_2010.pdf.

  • WBG (2010c) Report on Party Manifestos, http://wbg.org.uk/RRB_Reports_12_3556891183.pdf.

  • WBG (2011a) Budget 2011. WBG, http://www.wbg.org.uk/index_7_282363355.pdf.

  • WBG (2011b) Gender Analysis Changes Indirect Tax Intro by Coalition 2010–1. WBG, http://wbg.org.uk/pdfs/Indirect_tax_Budget_2011_final_report_June_20.pdf.

  • WBG (2012a) Budget 2012. WBG, http://wbg.org.uk/pdfs/The-Impact-on-Women-of-the-Budget-2012-FINAL.pdf.

  • WBG (2012b) AFS 2011. WBG, http://wbg.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/The-Impact-on-Women-of-the-AFS-2011.pdf, accessed summer 2014.

  • WBG (2013a) Impact on Women of AFS 2013. WBG, http://wbg.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/The-Impact-on-Women-of-Autumn-Financial-Statement-2013_final.pdf, accessed summer 2014.

  • WBG (2013b) April 2013 Budget. WBG, http://wbg.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/WBG_Budget-Analysis_2013.pdf, accessed summer 2014.

  • WBG (2013c) AFS 2012 and Welfare Benefits Up-Rating Bill 2013. WBG, http://wbg.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/WBG-AFS-2012-FINAL-2.pdf, accessed summer 2014.

  • Williams, S. and Scott, P. (2011) The nature of consv party modernization under David Cameron. Parliamentary Affairs 64 (3): 513–529.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Women’s Budget Group (WBG) Budget (2014) Giveaways to men, paid for by women.

  • Yurdakul, G. and Korteweg, A. (2013) Gender equality and immigrant integration: Honor killing and forced marriage debates in the Netherlands, Germany, and Britain. Women’s Studies International Forum 41: 204–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Politics, Birkbeck, University of London, 10 Gower Street, London, WC1E 6HJ, UK

    Rosie Campbell

  2. SPAIS, University of Bristol, 11 Priory Road, Bristol, BS8 1TY, UK

    Sarah Childs

Authors
  1. Rosie Campbell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sarah Childs
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Appendix

Appendix

Table A1

Table A1 Conservative response to speaker’s conference recommendations (APPG WIP, 2014)
Full size table

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Campbell, R., Childs, S. Conservatism, feminisation and the representation of women in UK politics. Br Polit 10, 148–168 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1057/bp.2015.18

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/bp.2015.18

Keywords

Search

Navigation