Harman and Alexander clash over gender again

It’s reported today in the New Statesman that Harriet Harman and Douglas Alexander have clashed over the male-dominated nature of Labour’s leadership team.

A row broke out on Monday between the two Labour shadow cabinet members after a regular meeting of the Parliament Labour Party, when “Harriet Harman was heard to berate Douglas Alexander over the lack of women in Labour’s inner circle.”

This isn’t the first time that the two have quarrelled over the issue. At the end of last year we wrote about a significant argument between them, when the Times reported the following:

“Harriet Harman “went crazy” at Douglas Alexander, Labour’s election chief, over his running of the party’s campaign and the role given to women, Labour sources have revealed. 

Ms Harman clashed with Mr Alexander at a private meeting at Labour headquarters on Monday in front of about three dozen staff, who were “shell-shocked” by the exchange, during which she accused him of speaking over her and ignoring her contributions. She interrupted a presentation by Mr Alexander to raise her issues and at one point declared that she was sick of hearing from “more panels full of boys”. She argued with him for several minutes.”

The fact that the same argument has emerged between Harman and Alexander goes to show that although Labour have the best record on female representation in Parliament – which isn’t necessarily saying much – Harman is (rightly) not satisfied with the gender balance of Labour’s campaign. That’s something to be wary of – or we might continue to get more women in politics but their voices could be drowned out by men.