C. Flower
09-05-2011, 09:53 PM
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/may/09/scottish-parliament-northern-ireland-welsh-assembly-election-results-diversity
No, not about religious diversity. The Guardian's analysis of the various Assembly results shows that the Northern Assembly has minimal representation by women members and only one representative from an ethnic minority.
Does anyone have an explanation for this ?
After Thursday's elections, the number of women elected to the Welsh assembly has equalled the legislature's worst level, at 40%. By contrast, in 2003, the assembly had been the first in the world to achieve completely equal representation for men and women at 50:50.
In Scotland the number of women elected to Holyrood last week was only slightly higher than in 2007 – the worst year for female representation since the parliament was founded in 1999 – with 46 women becoming MSPs, or 35.66% of the total. They are being sworn in on Wednesday morning, formally taking their seats as MSPs.
For ethnic minorities, the numbers of non-white members doubled in both legislatures. In Wales, this brought the numbers of ethnic minority AMs into roughly equal levels to number of black and Asian residents in Wales, at about 3%. In Holyrood, that equals only 1.5% of the parliament's 129 MSPs and well below the 4% of Scotland's population which is non-white.
We have also included a new table showing the number of women and ethnic minority candidates elected to the Northern Irish assembly at Stormont. On women's representation, Stormont has the worst record of any of the UK's legislatures, including Westminster, at 18.5%. Of its 108 members, only one is non-white, Anna Lo, of the Alliance party.
No, not about religious diversity. The Guardian's analysis of the various Assembly results shows that the Northern Assembly has minimal representation by women members and only one representative from an ethnic minority.
Does anyone have an explanation for this ?
After Thursday's elections, the number of women elected to the Welsh assembly has equalled the legislature's worst level, at 40%. By contrast, in 2003, the assembly had been the first in the world to achieve completely equal representation for men and women at 50:50.
In Scotland the number of women elected to Holyrood last week was only slightly higher than in 2007 – the worst year for female representation since the parliament was founded in 1999 – with 46 women becoming MSPs, or 35.66% of the total. They are being sworn in on Wednesday morning, formally taking their seats as MSPs.
For ethnic minorities, the numbers of non-white members doubled in both legislatures. In Wales, this brought the numbers of ethnic minority AMs into roughly equal levels to number of black and Asian residents in Wales, at about 3%. In Holyrood, that equals only 1.5% of the parliament's 129 MSPs and well below the 4% of Scotland's population which is non-white.
We have also included a new table showing the number of women and ethnic minority candidates elected to the Northern Irish assembly at Stormont. On women's representation, Stormont has the worst record of any of the UK's legislatures, including Westminster, at 18.5%. Of its 108 members, only one is non-white, Anna Lo, of the Alliance party.