Theresa May, Shadow Minister for Women, has responded to Harriet Harman’s speech today on Labour’s equality agenda.
She criticised the Government’s failure to prepare for the recession, which has led to women being hardest hit. The female redundancy rate is increasing at double that of men. The Government have also continually refused to support our proposals to tackle the gender pay gap and expand flexible working. Theresa said: “It’s a bit rich for Harriet Harman to be lecturing people on fairness when her Government’s failure to prepare for the recession has left so many families struggling.”
May added that “Conservatives have a proud record of supporting measures to increase equality and we are again taking the lead through our Equal Pay and Flexible Working Bill, which the Government have inexplicably refused to back.”