Emily Thornberry made the case for a statue of suffragette Emily Davison to be erected in Parliament last week as she attacked the disparity in wages between men and women.
Speaking at a debate to mark International Women’s Day, in which the need for a greater “presence” of homages to female contributions in parliament was needed, the Islington South MP said: “A statue to Emily Wilding Davison would be top of my list. Not a Parliamentarian but certainly someone who made a huge impact in this place.
“Not least through breaking into the House on a number of occasions, locking herself in, making a complete menace of herself but in fact forwarding the place of women hugely.
“It seems to me the very fact she wasn’t a Parliamentarian should not continue to exclude her from being recognised in this place.”
The former Shadow Attorney General also called for a new equal pay act enshrining society’s collective responsibility in ensuring men and women are paid the same amount for the same job.
She said current legislation was not “fit for the 21st century”.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here