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We have been researching the diversity of our local councils since 2015/2016.
We have been researching the diversity of our local councils since 2015/2016.
We argue that it is important for councils to reflect, as far as possible, the diverse communities they serve, so that a range of local perspectives and experiences can be taken into account in policy development, planning and resource allocation. Moving towards gender parity - the equal representation of women in all their diversity – is a major part of this. We have begun to carry out annual monitoring of Milton Keynes City Council elections to document changes in the representation of women.
In 2020, we launched a series of discussion papers on women and local democracy in Milton Keynes. We’ve shared these papers with Milton Keynes City Council, local political parties, and local and national organisations concerned with widening participation in local democracy. In line with Fawcett’s national commitments, our aim is to promote greater diversity in local government, including increasing women’s participation.
Our most recent discussion paper covers Milton Keynes City Council elections in 2024...
Following the 2024 elections, 44% of councillors on MK City Council were women. This figure compares well with the national average of 36%, but has remained unchanged since 2022: a (welcome) increase over previous years seems to have stalled.
Overall figures mask differences between political parties. Following the 2024 elections, Labour have parity between women and men on Council, with 15 women out of a total of 30 councillors. The Liberal Democrats have a smaller number of women on Council: 7 out of a total of 18 councillors. Numbers of Conservatives elected to Council fell dramatically in 2024, to 9 councillors, 3 of whom were women. We argue that we need more women on Council from all political parties: all need a clear electoral strategy to ensure women are selected to stand in winnable seats.
A positive achievement on Milton Keynes City Council is the number of women in senior positions: women have outnumbered men on Cabinet for several years: this year 5 out of 9 Cabinet members are women. The Deputy Leader of the Council (Labour) is female, and the Liberal Democrat and Conservative parties are led by women. This contributes to women’s visibility on Council and ensures that women are involved in policy development and decision-making at a senior level.
To read more about this work, see:
Women’s Participation in Local Politics: Milton Keynes Council 2015/16 and 2019/20
(October 2020)
Women’s Participation in Local Politics: Milton Keynes City Council elections 2024
(September 2024)
Composition of Milton Keynes City Council following elections in 2024: number and percentage of female and male candidates
Composition of Milton Keynes City Council following elections in 2024: gender and political party
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