Harman: EU referendum is too important to be left to men

Harriet Harman today says that women’s voices are being stifled in the EU referendum debate and warns that key arguments about the impact of Brexit on women are being blocked.

The former Labour leader said men were “as usual” pushing out women from broadcast discussions of the referendum and called on the media regulator to intervene.

Harman has written to Sharon White, chief executive of Ofcom, as she published data showing how the majority of voices on key morning news programmes belonged to men.

“Half the population of this country are women and our membership of the EU is important to women’s lives.  Yet men are – as usual – pushing women out”, Harman said.

“Women are being excluded and the debate narrowed. The broadcasters have a legal duty to keep a balance between those who want remain and those who want to leave.  They should have a balance between men and women.  This referendum is too important to be left to men.”

Harman published Labour analysis of the gender balance of guests discussing the EU referendum on morning news programmes, which showed:

• 48 out of 58 guests on the BBC Today programme were male.
• 12 out of 14 guests on BBC Breakfast were male.
• 18 out of 25 guests on ITV’s Good Morning Britain were male.

Harman, who also twice served as interim leader of the Labour Party, will today speak at an event alongside Angela Eagle, Seema Malhotra, and Kate Green, at which they will make the case why women are better off if Britain remains in the EU.

The full text of Harman’s letter to Ofcom is below.

Dear Sharon,

RE: Women’s voices not being heard in the EU referendum campaign

I am writing today to express my serious concern that the referendum campaign has to date, been dominated by men.

Half the population of this country are women and our membership of the EU is important to women’s lives.  Yet men are – as usual – pushing women out.

Broadcasters have consistently over-represented male voices in the campaign. A Loughborough University report published this week show that women were ‘significantly marginalised’ in TV reporting – only 16 per cent of TV appearances on EU issues have been women.

No woman makes the top ten of voices heard on EU issues. Indeed, the top three voices are three white, male, Tories. It fails to reflect the breadth of voices involved with the campaign and as a consequence, a narrow range issues ends up being discussed, leaving many women feeling shut out of the national debate.

The referendum campaign is too important to be left to men. It is absolutely vital that, before making their decision on the 23rd of June, voters have been able to hear a broad spectrum of views covering all the issues that matter to the British people.

I note that Ofcom’s broadcast code states that “in dealing with matters of major political and industrial controversy and major matters relating to current public policy an appropriately wide range of significant views must be included and given due weight in each programme or in clearly linked and timely programmes.

Furthermore, last year you were quoted as saying diversity was a “big priority” for Ofcom and that  “collective endeavour” from the media on this was important, too. That is why I am urging Ofcom to do what it can amongst broadcasters to help ensure women are properly represented on broadcast media and that serious issues affecting female voters are given adequate media coverage.

Women are being excluded and the debate narrowed.  The broadcasters have to keep a balance between those who want remain and those who want to leave. They should have a balance between men and women.

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Harriet Harman MP