KATE OSBORNE MP: 14 years of Tory rule has failed women – working women, pensioner women, young women, single mothers, disabled women

In South Tyneside, I am proud that we have women in elected positions as the two Members of Parliament that represent the borough, as the Leader and Deputy Leader of South Tyneside Council, and as Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner too.

I’m immensely proud to be the first woman MP for the historic Jarrow Constituency since the great ‘Red’ Ellen Wilkinson who fought for our community in leading the Jarrow March down to Parliament.

And there are so many more wonderful female role models in our communities who continue to contribute so much to society too.

We have brilliant women supporting residents who are in desperate need at Hebburn Helps, Bede’s Helping Hands and Boldon CA Food Banks.

We have fabulous local businesses owned by women, such as the Station Boutique, who lead the way for small businesses in a time when running your own business carries so much risk.

We have amazing women and girls grassroots sports teams such as Hebburn Town Women FC, South Shields FC Women, Boldon Netball Club, Jarrovians RUFC Lasses, just to name a few.

It’s right that we celebrate all these women and the progress they have made in building a more equal society, however we must remember the ongoing fight women still have for equality.

14 years of consecutive Conservative Governments have failed women - working women, pensioner women, young women, single mothers, disabled women.

It is women that are more likely to be on precarious zero-hours contracts than men.

It is women that are twice as likely as men to miss out on key protections at work such as statutory sick pay.

It is women that are the shock absorbers of poverty.

It is women that once again bear the brunt of being pushed out of the labour market because of caring commitments.

Women's maternity services are on the brink of collapse.

Women pensioners are more likely to live in poverty, more likely to live in cold homes and less likely to have a pension.

From birth to death, women are penalised.Last week’s Spring Budget should have been an opportunity for the Government to address some of these inequalities. Instead, it did the opposite.

As we have come to expect from successful Tory Government’s, this was a budget for the rich.

The recently announced tax cuts will impact the richest 12 times more than the poorest and of course women in the UK get much less back than men.

The women's health gap is growing, women are more impacted by cuts to public services.

In the main it is women that have to bridge the gap that years of Tory-driven high inflation, low wages and austerity has made. Women need so much more support, not even more cuts.

It is clear that the Tories have run this country into the ground and working families have had enough.

For years this cruel Government has continued to stir up hate and use divisive rhetoric with their attacks on the LGBTQ+ community as well as attacks on refugees, workers and disabled people. Their sole intention is to distract people from the devastation they have created – but they will not win.

This Tory Government will go down as one full of lies, corruption and chaos and the sooner they are kicked out of power the better.

They are even bringing in new laws which set working women back even further, like their new anti-strike laws and attempts to restrict women's reproductive rights.

These curbs disproportionately take away women’s right to strike. It’s little wonder that women’s organisations have been queueing up to call out this appalling piece of legislation.

Labour’s New Deal for Working People stands in stark contrast to the Conservatives’ dreadful record on workers’ and women’s rights.

The New Deal would ban zero-hours contracts and close the gender, ethnicity and disability pay gap.

It would introduce a day-one right to flexible working – not just a right to ask nicely for it.

And it would introduce fair pay agreements to boost pay and conditions in social care, which we know is a predominantly female workforce.

The Tories have continually taken any opportunity to strip support away from women in any way they can.

It really is alarming that it will take around 20 years – until 2044 to close the gender pay gap

Women should not be at the sharp end of years of Tory failure.

Women make up 53% of the population yet get single figure %’s of government funding.

Women are crucial to the future of Britain’s economy – and a Labour government will make sure their effort and talent is recognised.