A new photo of the Labour Party has put the Tories’ electoral defeat in another, rather unflattering light.
All of the female MPs elected for Labour gathered for a historic image in Westminster Hall this week, making it pretty clear for their political opponents just how many of them there are.
In fact, there are 189 female Labour MPs now – almost half of the total 411 seats it won in the election.
That’s more than there are Tory MPs (of any gender) in this parliament.
It’s yet another blow to the beleaguered Conservatives, who already endured their worst-ever electoral defeat.
Our 190 incredible Labour women MPs, helping to make up the largest cohort of female MPs ever ???? pic.twitter.com/iAvC1RY1pk
— The Labour Party (@UKLabour) July 17, 2024
Having secured just 121 seats in the election, the Conservatives now have 29 female MPs – that works out to less than a quarter of its total parliamentary party, a detail which did not escape Labour MPs and party supporters online.
In 1924 there was uproar in the press when the newly-elected Ellen Wilkinson appeared in Parliament in a green dress. Goodness knows what they’d have made of Labour’s 190 women MPs a hundred years on! pic.twitter.com/L8x7rdnNIO
— Nan Sloane (@NanSloane) July 18, 2024
What an phenomenal sight to behold!
— Dawn Butler ✊???????? (@DawnButlerBrent) July 17, 2024
We now have 190 @UKLabour women MPs. That's more than all the Tories MPs.
And our diversity is growing and growing!
Excited to see and feel what a difference a Labour Government will make to my constituents in Brent and the country pic.twitter.com/7ZgMrTNQLz
Labour now has more female MPs than the Tories have MPs.
— Graham Hughes (@EveryCountry) July 18, 2024
???????????? pic.twitter.com/h5quVt72wr
When Diane Abbott entered parliament in 1987 there were just 40 female MPs in total. Today there are 263 and Labour has 190 of them - more than the entire number of Tory MPs in opposition. Much still to do, but worth taking a moment to recognise how far women have come. https://t.co/roVExNblhx
— Linda Green (@LindaGreenisms) July 18, 2024
This parliament is certainly one full of records in terms of its make-up, much of it related to the Labour Party.
Aside from creating the largest female cohort in parliament ever, with more than 40% of all MPs being women, there’s also a historic 11 female cabinet members.
In terms of educational background, the cabinet is the most diverse in history, with the majority (92%) of members having attended state school.
For comparison, just 19% of Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak’s cabinet was state-educated.
Keir Starmer also announced the first female chancellor in the Exchequer’s history, too, by putting Rachel Reeves in the top job.
Labour has even appointed the youngest cabinet minister ever, as Louise Haigh, a 36-year-old MP, is now the transport secretary.
The huge Labour majority also includes parliament’s first Chinese-born MP and a record level of Sikh representation.
The first three MPs born in the 21st Century to be elected are part of the Labour Party, too.
