Back more women, Tories told

Labour has three women in key jobs - Tories are told to catch up

The Tory Party has been told it should do more to have women standing as election candidates.

Conservative women's campaigner Pam Rickards made the call during a law and order debate at the Bournemouth conference.

Ms Rickards, general secretary of the Tory European Union of Women, said: "I think we need in this Conservative Party to consider that the population in this country is 51.8% women.

Gillian Shephard is among the Tories' few women MPs

"We need to find more women who will be candidates. We need to get the election committees to choose them."

She added: "If you look at the criminal behaviour in any family. If you look at the victim, the drug addict - it's the women in the family who very often look after them, support them.

"In some ways our current situation in the Conservative Party is failing these people.

"I think we should have more women in the decision-making process." But she added: "I know our men have done a very good job."

Labour has taken positive action to have more women MPs, the new intake being dubbed "Blair's babes".