tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22057922.post773942532906359838..comments2023-10-30T14:03:37.394+00:00Comments on Lindylooz Muze: BME Shortlists - the same as Criminal Shortlists?Linda Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155438246679688058noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22057922.post-88587095372405260402008-02-07T15:56:00.000+00:002008-02-07T15:56:00.000+00:00You are right, Linda. It is a stupid analogy. Unle...You are right, Linda. It is a stupid analogy. Unless, of course, there is truth in the suggestion that propensity to criminal behaviour is genetic.<BR/><BR/>However, I would agree that parliament should be made up of the people best suited to legislate, rather than simply reflecting society. After all, people do not choose their IQs either, but we would not countenance stupid-only shortlists.<BR/><BR/>The point about race and gender is not that parliament should reflect society as a whole – heaven forbid! It is that there is no link between race or gender and one’s ability as a candidate or parliamentarian. Thus any discrimination against BME or female candidates (as opposed to discrimination against stupid or antisocial candidates) is unwarranted.<BR/><BR/>Of course, it does not follow that BME-only or women-only shortlists are needed. The system will police itself because parties that fail to promote BME or female candidates because of prejudice will have a smaller pool of good candidates to choose from, which will hurt them at the polls; and will be seen as prejudiced, which will also hurt them at the polls.Liberal Polemichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05002372579024659424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22057922.post-79831998277962600952008-02-07T11:44:00.000+00:002008-02-07T11:44:00.000+00:00unfortunately I have heard of him. He was a speake...unfortunately I have heard of him. He was a speaker at the launch of a hansard book on what the first year of being an MP was like. I'd asked a question about the number of women MPs (strangely for me!) and his response was that he didn't think there was a problem, that he didn't see the need for anymore.Jo Christie-Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02971979793175012868noreply@blogger.com