Gloria De Piero MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities, commenting after newspaper reports on the lack of women being selected by the Tories to contest the next election, said:

“No one should be surprised that the party led for eight years by the man who shouts ‘calm down dear’ at women is facing a crisis in selecting female candidates.

“Rather than claiming he’s angry about it, David Cameron should actually take action - you can’t be a party which speaks for Britain when you only have 16 per cent of women MPs and risk having even fewer after the next election.

“If David Cameron were serious about women’s representation in politics he would take action in the one area where he does have complete control over selection - his Cabinet. But instead, just four out of its 23 members are women.

"The truth is that whether it’s representation in Parliament, unaffordable childcare or the widening pay gap, women just aren’t a priority for David Cameron.”