Greater Manchester Conservative Future abolishes Women’s Officer role

The Women’s Officer position for the Greater Manchester branch of Conservative Future has been abolished by the same candidate who was elected to the post.

University of Manchester graduate Natalie Samuel was elected to the position last month, only to immediately get rid of the role.

“I believe that positive discrimination is still discrimination,” said Samuel.  “The [group] has never had a lack of women in senior positions, and women do not need this role to be handed to them. Women should make their achievements though merit.

“It is patronising, we don’t need it. When I put the motion through, every single woman in the room agreed with me.”

However, Hazel Kent, the Women’s Officer at the University of Manchester Students’ Union does not agree: “The Conservative Future executive is made up solely of men, which is why the position was created in the first place. Given this it is especially disappointing that a woman elected specifically to ensure women’s representation would then abolish the position.

“At the current rate, it would take almost 200 years to reach gender equality in parliament. I personally find it hard to be associated with feminists who would actively seek to take away women’s much needed representation in politics.”