Facts

In a video published in support of a 50:50 gender balanced parliament, Johnson said: “I am proud today that there are more women in Parliament than ever before. But if we’re going to achieve 50:50, we need the biggest ever recruitment drive of women as candidates, activists, and potential MPs.”

“If you give men and women the same opportunities, you will solve some of the world’s toughest problems.”

Johnson has not put this support for a 50:50 parliament into practice.

Only 24% of Conservative MPs are female. This contrasts with Labour, where just over half of their MPS – 104 out of 202 – are women.

Johnson’s appointments to the House of Lords did not show any attempt to increase the number of women on the conservative benches. His December 2020 list of new peers (peers also rank as MPs) included six men and only two women, taking the total announced since he became Prime Minister to 22 men and 6 women.

Verdict

Johnson’s promise to contribute to a 50:50 parliament appears to have been yet another empty and meaningless pledge.