Harriet: We’re forging a new path

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982

There’s a good interview with Harriet Harman in today’s Guardian, in which Labour’s deputy leader talks about the election, her role in government, the Equalities legislation and home life.

Harriet says:

“If you look at the programme that we’re offering, I think that is a future which is fair for women as well as men. We’re still heavily outnumbered – we’re still four to one in parliament – but we are pioneers! We are forging a new path…

She continues:

“It’s quite interesting to see in the Tories’ manifesto things we’ve already done. I suppose imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But I don’t believe any of it is rooted. I don’t think you can trust them as far as you can throw them on anything like support for families caring for older relatives, support for families looking after children, as well as going out to work. Remember, these are the same people who chased us round TV and radio studios saying it was all political correctness gone mad! We are the champions of that agenda, and the Tories would turn aside from it in an instant.

“The worst thing is that it combines smugness and blaming. ‘We, the married, are sending you, the unmarried, a message – you’ve got to be like us.’ It’s Victorian finger-wagging. It’s terrible.”

Read the full interview here.