Harriet Harman and identity politics

Harriet has done it again. Just when Labour needed to woo the working class males back to the party she has made Labour again the party of identity groups. She has given an interview in the Sunday Times where she says that Labour must always have either a female leader or female deputy leader because 'men can't be trusted to run things'. Brilliant. Well done Harriet. That will bring those white working class men flooding back. There is nothing like being lectured by a politician that people like you cannot be trusted to run anything to make you want to vote for them, right?

But it raises an interesting point and something that the Tories are equally guilty of. A seeming view that people can only really be represented by someone like them. The thought pattern appears to be that a woman can not really be represented in Parliament unless her MP is a woman, or that a Black or Asian or gay or transgendered person cannot have their views represented in Parliament unless they are represented by an MP who is just like them.

My question is, why? Why should a woman feel like she is not represented unless her MP is a woman, or unless there are a certain number of female MP's? Isn't it more important to have the best available people representing you, rather than one that fits a similar identity profile? To put it another way, as a self-professed white male, I would not feel disadvantaged or disenfranchised if my MP was a woman, or an Asian, or gay - so long as they were good at their jobs, and I agreed with their politics and policy. For example, I would support Syed Kamal over George Galloway, or Maggie Thatcher over Tony Blair. On the same level, I would choose David Cameron over Harriet Harman. The colour or sex of the representative is less important than their politics and ability.

Labour is certainly not alone with believing that Members of Parliament much be closely aligned with census figures. The Conservative Party has also created 50/50 shortlists in a number of seats (where the shortlists must be half men and half women - no matter what proportion of men and women applied for selection), meaning that better qualified men are being left off shortlists in order to push up less qualified women.

The only way to have a successful government is to have a government and a Parliament made up of the best people available, regardless of race, creed or sex.