Being out and about talking to residents and representing their views is, in my view, as important to politics as the grandstanding that takes place in Westminster. – Lucy Powell

In politics, the number of women in the cabinet has fallen and, if current poll trends continue and Labour loses a number of marginal seats, the number of female MPs is likely to drop significantly. – Lucy Powell

The Labour party has done more than any other to address gender inequalities, through legislation and other means, and to increase womens representation in politics, which has led to recent increases in the number of female politicians. – Lucy Powell