Supply and Demand: Women Candidates and the Liberal Democrats

The numerical under-representation of women in Westminster is a source of particular embarrassment for the Liberal Democrats who claim to fight for equality of opportunity for all. This article addresses the current situation within the Liberal Democrats through empirical analysis of qualitative and quantitative research. It identifies recruitment, political culture and thoughts on positive action as the key themes in relation to the question of supply and demand, drawing on ideas from feminism and the wider field of political science. In so doing it tackles substantive questions surrounding the party's commitment to increasing its number of women MPs.