Revealed: The 75 Seats Where No Women Are Standing As Candidates This Election

The figure is despite a 'record' number of women running to get a place in parliament.
ChrisSteer via Getty Images

There will not be a single female candidate on the ballot in more than a tenth of all constituencies when voters head to the polls on Thursday, HuffPost UK can reveal.

Analysis of who is standing in each of the UK’s 650 constituencies shows there are no female candidates in 75 seats – about 11.5%.

The findings come despite reports that a record 1,124 women are standing in the election, accounting for some 34% of all candidates. In the 2017 snap vote, just 29% of those vying to become MPs were women.

But further investigation reveals that the number of seats where there are no women on the ballot would have been much higher in this election if it was not for smaller parties standing candidates.

In the last parliament, the Conservatives, Labour, SNP and Liberal Democrats were the four largest parties, accounting for 92% of seats in the Commons.

In 22% of seats where the Conservatives, Labour, SNP or the Lib Dems have stood a candidate, not one of them have put forward a woman
In 22% of seats where the Conservatives, Labour, SNP or the Lib Dems have stood a candidate, not one of them have put forward a woman
Getty/ PA

In this election, there are 636 constituencies where at least one of these parties have stood a candidate.

But in a staggering 142 of the seats – 22% – none of the candidates put forward by any of the Tories, Labour, SNP or the Lib Dems are women.

Serena Laidley, who is one of three candidates standing for the Women’s Equality Party, said women MPs are stepping down “because of the abuse and intimidation they face online”.

Harassment and abuse is common within Westminster and we are on the edge of a Brexit that will hit women hardest,” she said.

In October, Liberal Democrat Heidi Allen announced her decision not to run as an MP, saying she was “exhausted” by the threats and abuse she had received.

Serena Laidley is standing for the Women's Equality Party in Luton North
Serena Laidley is standing for the Women's Equality Party in Luton North
Women's Equality Party

But Laidley, who is standing in Luton North, said mainstream parties “still fail to see the importance of breaking down the barriers to women getting more representation in parliament”.

She added: “Women’s voices are needed in politics if we are ever going to deal with these issues properly and protect women’s interests.”

However, the number of female candidates the four main parties are standing is not equal.

According to research by the BBC, more than half (53%) of Labour’s candidates are women – 335 of 631. It is the only party with (in this respect) equal, or better-than-equal, representation for women.

The SNP has the next highest percentage. Of the party’s 59 candidates, 20 are women – about 34%.

Meanwhile, 31% of Lib Dem candidates (188 of 611) and 30% of Conservative candidates (192 of 635) are women.

By contrast with the men’s tally, there are just four seats in this election where every candidate is female.

In Barking, Chippenham, Llanelli and Telford, all of the people in the running to become MP are women.

Seats With No Women On The Ballot

Aberdeenshire West & Kincardine

Basildon & Billericay

Basildon South & Thurrock East

Bedford

Blackley & Broughton

Bosworth

Bournemouth West

Bracknell

Brentwood & Ongar

Bromsgrove

Buckingham

Calder Valley

Cambridgeshire South

Carmarthen West & Pembrokeshire South

Cheltenham

Chorley

Christchurch

Clacton

Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill

Crawley

Dartford

Delyn

Denton & Reddish

Dorset North

Dumfries & Galloway

Durham North

East Lothian

Eltham

Enfield Southgate

Exeter

Gillingham & Rainham

Glasgow South West

Halesowen & Rowley Regis

Hampshire North East

Hartlepool

Harwich & Essex North

Huddersfield

Huntingdon

Ilford North

Keighley

Leeds Central

Leeds North West

Leicestershire South

Liverpool Walton

Liverpool West Derby

Macclesfield

Newark

Newcastle-under-Lyme

Norfolk Mid

North Down

Rayleigh & Wickford

Richmond (Yorks)

Scarborough & Whitby

Sheffield South East

Skipton & Ripon

St Helens North

Stockton North

Stockton South

Stone

Stratford-on-Avon

Surrey South West

Swansea West

Tamworth

Torfaen

Tunbridge Wells

Vale of Clwyd

Wansbeck

Wantage

Warwick & Leamington

Watford

Westmorland & Lonsdale

Weston-Super-Mare

Windsor

The Wrekin

Wyre Forest

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