In an interview last week on Radio 4′s Women’s Hour, David Cameron insulted his own party. Bizarrely enough, not many in the media picked up on it.

The discussion took place on 18th February on Women’s Hour, which you can listen to from here.

A proportion of the interview with Cameron revolved around better representation in Parliament.

At one point Cameron states: “The point is, you need to be more representative to be more effective”

There is also discussion on the controversies around women candidates Liz Truss and Joanne Cash.

Cameron then goes on to point out that imposing All Women Shortlists from Conservative Central Office was the only option open to him since change was not taking fast enough.

At this point interviewer (at around 22 min in) Jenni Murray says:

This would make Margaret Thatcher’s heart go cold. The party has always argued you should get there on merit than because of your gender.

To which Cameron replies:

I have a lot of sympathy with that view BUT, and it’s a really big but, we tried that for years and the fact is the rate of change was just to slow. And if we just carried on as we were I think in the end we would have… some very talented women would have gotten through but they were having to jump barriers far higher than any of the men.

I mean I’ve said this, half-jokingly to some in my party, and they sort of laugh because they know it’s true that sometimes in a selection meeting there can be as if they’re looking for the perfect son-in-law rather than the perfect candidate [laughs].

And you have to recognise the rate of change wasn’t faster we weren’t going to be representative enough as a party so I took the view that we had to give things a big shift.. a bit of a shock, and that’s what I’ve done.

I heartily commend David Cameron on his honesty. But will Conservative Associations around the country take that remark so lightly?

Reader comments

1. Liberal Conspiracy

   Cameron disses Tories: "they're looking for son-in-laws" http://bit.ly/aT1CWy

2. Sam the Drummer

   Speechless but impressed somewhat. Time will tell RT @libcon: Cameron disses Tories: "they're looking for son-in-laws" http://bit.ly/aT1CWy

3. NOTORYUS

   RT @libcon: Cameron disses Tories "looking for son-in-laws" http://bit.ly/aT1CWy > when Tory voters want no strings http://tiny.cc/SexPoll

4. Nick Entwistle

   Weirdly, one of the more direct arguements for positive discrimination, from David Cameron http://bit.ly/aT1CWy via @libcon

5. sunny hundal

   This is funny RT @libcon: Cameron disses Tories: "they're looking for son-in-laws" http://bit.ly/aT1CWy

6. uberVU - social comments

   Social comments and analytics for this post…

   This post was mentioned on Twitter by libcon: Cameron disses Tories: “they’re looking for son-in-laws” http://bit.ly/aT1CWy...

7. Andrew Roche

   RT @libcon: Cameron disses Tories: "they're looking for son-in-laws" http://bit.ly/aT1CWy

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.