Aine Lagan

Theresa May is what a feminist looks like

Far too often in politics, women on the centre-right find themselves labeled as the ‘wrong’ sort of feminist, or even worse, told their political views aren’t compatible with the main principles of feminism. It is a general attitude which not only affects everyday women but has followed the most successful women in politics, all the way to the top and into Downing Street itself. Yes, even Theresa May, the country’s second female Prime Minister, has to put up with the accusation that her politics undermine her credibility as a feminist. The most recent accuser was none other than Labour MP and Mother of the House Harriet Harman, who yet again repeated one of her favourite claims that Theresa May is not a ‘sister’ to the cause of feminism, and not a ‘daughter of the revolution’.

Sorry Harriet, but you’re wrong. You shouldn’t be throwing any women under the bus. Even if it is pink. Feminism is not a political party issue. Being a feminist and being a conservative are not mutually exclusive. No one woman nor one party has the right to claim a movement for themselves and attempt to redefine it in their image, much less have the authority to determine who is and who is not a champion of the cause. So watching one highly successful female politician publicly attacking another in this way was deeply disappointing. Especially considering that it was supposedly being done in the name of feminism. But it got me thinking, why is this attitude still accepted? Why don’t we know more about the achievements of the country’s second female leader? And why are the achievements of conservative women in general dismissed when it is time to celebrate women in politics?

Watching the mainstream media’s approach to celebrating the one hundredth anniversary of votes for women is starting to feel like an exercise in not only rewriting history, but in misrepresenting the present.

One of the most significant figures in the suffragette movement, Emmeline Pankurst, was a conservative and stood as a Conservative Party candidate for Parliament; a fact often forgotten or ignored by certain feminists.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in