Sophie Walker (pictured left), the leader of the Women's Equality Party, has announced she will stand against "sexist" MP Philip Davies in the general election.
Davies, the Conservative MP for Shipley in West Yorkshire, is known for calling feminism "nonsense" and consistently voting against policies which promote equality. Last year he tried to block a bill aimed at improving welfare services for women who experience domestic violence by delivering a time-wasting 78-minute speech in the House of Commons.
Terrifyingly, Davies was actually handed a place on parliament's Women and Equalities Committee in December. He has since called for the committee to remove the word "women" from its name.
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Walker, who became WEP leader in 2015, said in a statement today: "It is a national embarrassment that he sits on the Women and Equalities Committee. Shipley deserves an MP that will represent the needs and interests of all its constituents, instead of one who spends constituency time on a self-indulgent anti-women campaign."
"Philip Davies’s track record of misogyny should have no place in Parliament," she added.
According to The Guardian, the Green Party and Liberal Democrats could stand aside in Shipley to clear room for Walker in her battle against Davies. However, the local Labour Party is said to be keener on fielding its own candidate than backing Walker's bid to unseat Davies.
Walker told the newspaper: "Philip Davies basically is a sexist misogynist who puts his own ego ahead of his constituents. His anti-equality agenda in Westminster threatens the rights and freedoms not just of women but also people with disabilities, BAME and LGBT+ communities.”
The Women's Equality Party was co-founded in 2015 by journalist Catherine Mayer and TV presenter Sandi Toksvig. If Walker unseats Davies, she will become its first MP.
"Equality for women isn't a women's issue," the party says on its website. "When women fulfill their potential, everyone benefits. Equality means better politics, a more vibrant economy, a workforce that draws on the talents of the whole population and a society at ease with itself."
The general election takes place on the 8th of June. Read Refinery29's handy guide to everything about it here.
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