Anneliese Dodds has been mocked by Tory MPs after claiming Labour is the “party of women”.
The Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary took to X, formerly Twitter, after speaking at Labour’s Women’s Conference in Liverpool yesterday.
She said: “Labour is the party of women. While our opponents pay lip service to women, only Labour can close the gender pay gap, tackle the epidemic of violence against women and girls and fix the shocking state of women’s healthcare.
“Because only Labour has the political will to do so.”
But Ms Dodds was ridiculed by Conservative MPs who pointed out that she had previously struggled to define what a woman is and how Labour has not yet had a female leader.
Workington MP Mark Jenkinson, who sits on the Women and Equalities Committee, said: “You’d have to be able to define one first…
“Cumberland Council risks bankruptcy because of an equal pay claim, starting at the hands of Labour-led Cumbria County Council and unresolved by its Labour successor.
“Labour-led Birmingham is bankrupt because of old boys networks. Are you sure?”
Tory MP Chris Clarkson added: “The Conservatives have had three female leaders (not a quota or all-female shortlist in sight).
“No woman has ever finished ahead of a man in a Labour leadership contest.”
Conservative Angela Richardson highlighted the treatment of Labour’s Rosie Duffield over her gender views.
She said: “Nope. The party of women wouldn’t have left Rosie Duffield isolated and unprotected from the viciousness for so many years.
“We Conservative sisters stood with her and stood up for biological reality. You quite frankly sucked at it and still do. Absolute cowards.”
