Commons could have quotas set for women MPs

A cross-party review today urged that the move must be considered if there is not a “significant” increase in the number of female MPs in the forthcoming general election.

Such a reform would be highly controversial – even voluntary all-women shortlists have only ever been used by the Labour Party.

But the Speaker’s Conference suggested compulsion might be necessary to increase diversity in the House of Commons.

Chaired by Commons Speaker John Bercow, the Speaker’s Conference was commissioned by Gordon Brown to investigate the under-representation in the House of women, ethnic minorities and the disabled.

In its report today, it said: “If the political parties fail to make significant progress on women’s representation at the 2010 general election, Parliament should give serious consideration to the introduction of prescriptive quotas, ensuring that all political parties adopt some form of equality guarantee in time for the following general election.”

The report also accepted that this might not be easy for some.