Molly Scott Cato, Green MEP for the South West, used her debut appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions show to draw attention to the way government policies are hurting women and to defend Trade Unions. Dr Scott Cato is the first MEP to appear on the flagship panel discussion programme since the European elections in May.
Responding to a question about David Cameron’s reshuffle, Molly described the increase in the number of women in the cabinet as long overdue, but tokenistic.
“The real problem here is how government policies are affecting women. Austerity politics and the cuts to services on which women rely are affecting women much more seriously than men. I would suggest to David Cameron that if he really wants to win women’s votes that’s the place to look and not some window dressing in the cabinet”, said Dr Scott Cato.
She pointed out that the Green Party has more women in senior positions than men and has only ever had women leaders. “This is because we do our politics in a very open and democratic way and if Westminster worked a bit more like that women might thrive better there as well”, said Molly.
Dr Scott Cato went on from her appearance on Any Questions to talk at an annual celebration of trade unionism and was asked a question about whether Trade Unions were any longer necessary:
“Unions are there to protect workers. I am a life-long Union member myself and I would recommend to everybody that they join a Trade Union,” said Molly.
She highlighted collective bargaining, protecting levels of pay and representing workers who face difficulties at work as vital services unions offer workers, and added:
“In Britain we have a particularly conflicted approach to Labour relations, in strong contrast to what we see in other European countries. Part of the reason Germany is so successful is the fact that Trade Unions are involved in the management of firms and in Sweden Trade Unions are represented on boards. That’s a much more constructive way of looking at how an economy might work and both those economies, I would suggest, are more successful than ours.”
Molly received an extremely favourable response to her first appearance on Any Questions. Comments on Twitter included: “A distinct, honest voice free from bombast and cliché”; “Really excellent performance by Molly; clear, incisive and to the point.”