WATCH: Shami Chakrabarti defends all-women shortlists

Shami Chakrabarti, Labour peer and shadow attorney general, launched a strong defence of the party’s all-women shortlists on BBC’s Question Time last night.

Chakrabarti said: “The status quo on this planet is not meritocracy. Women have been bottom of the pile on this planet for thousands of years.

“Now I respect James’ party [the Tories] for having produced two women Prime Ministers but Prime Ministers by themselves are not enough.

“It’s only because of all-women shortlists that Labour now has more women in parliament than all the other parties put together – and we’re still not 50 per cent yet.”

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