DIANNE ABBOTT - SO MUCH FOR DIVERSITY

Labour's Acting Leader Harriet Harman today called for 50 per cent of the Shadow Cabinet to be women. a measure, to be frank, I do not agree with.
Why? Because I happen to think political principles are far more important than gender and also because the current parlous state of diversity and democratic choice is not being supported by the people in the PLP who seem hell-bent on ensuring neither left candidate is on the leadership ballot paper.
As Dianne Abbott points out here, the current rules are a disgrace. And, yes, it is a worse disgrace that thanks to a gerrymandering procedure dreamed up to keep the left out neither she, not fellow left contender John McDonnell, is likely to be able to meet a threshold set ridiculously high.If Ed Miliband supports Harman's call for equality of opportunity he should put his money where his mouth is and tell male supporters to lend nominations.
In the interests of all of us, male and female, in the Labour Party.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article7143741.ece