It’s #AskHerToStand day: a thread.

@johnleechmcr asked me, when he did I laughed it off. Then @joswinson did and I laughed it off.

I kept being asked and then the penny kinda dropped...

My family and friends were not sure at first and I don’t blame them, these sorts of institutions were largely opposite of what we would recognise within our social groups.

I helped men around me get elected, feeling slightly jealous but not knowing why...

Charging campaigns I cared about I was given more and more responsibility, taking ownership of more and more things those around me said, “have you ever considered standing”, prior to being actually asked, I never explicitly had.

It sort of hit me, I was putting people on a pedestal without knowing. All men. I got angry with myself.

When asked by leech to stand I cut my teeth in Old Moat. Helping so many who felt left behind - I saw a gap with those who vote and those who needed help. This was it now.

I saw so much. And many of it familiar to my life experiences. I knew how to help people with say benefits forms as I did them for my parents as a child. It felt like I was able to make those less positive times have current positive consequences

So back to the point -without someone else seeing potential in me I wouldn’t have been able to take these skills & put them into use. A lifetime of being told No is hard to break out of asking someone to stand starts to tap at shattering that window. It’s small but it has impact

And look how much the Withington campaign has come! Essentially doubling the result in a couple of years- beneficial to both Diversity and the party!

The party needs to be better at recognising diversity in less tokenistic approaches - its beneficial to how we operate, it increases engagement with people outside regular pools. It changes minds and makes for more inclusive policy making.

And on that, it’s become a bit of a butterfly effect - being asked to stand, to now asking fellow board members how we not just “ask her to stand” but how to go much further in supporting those with so much to offer. It’s happening, albeit slowly.

So. Men. Because it’s usually you lot with most agency and institutional power. Ask her to stand. Do it, just bloody do it. Even if it means your mate has to have a seat contested or what have you.

We are looking at you, now.

Make the game fair. Assist women into being in the room.

Because whether you are comfortable with it or not, diversity of thought, having better representation isn’t just the right thing to do - it’s proven to makes us all more successful. Be better.