The Electoral Fortune of Women Candidates in British Politics

In recent UK elections the descriptive representation of women has increased starkly. Both the Labour party and the Conservatives have helped the representation of women through means such as All-Women-Short-Lists and the A-List. However, Labour women candidates are far more successful in winning their seat than those that run for the Conservatives and the rise in candidates does not transfer to representation in parliament equally for the parties. I show how both voting based on candidate characteristics and nomination strategies by the parties influence the success of women in Great Britain. Using constituency-level voting data from 1997 to 2017, I estimate vote shares based on candidate sex as well as how the marginality of a district affects the electoral fortunes of women. I find that Labour women profit in elections compared to men and are successfully nominated in more favourable districts. Conversely, Conservative women are disadvantaged both at the ballot box and in the nomination process. This has important ramifications for how internal quotas influence party nominations and how voters judge female candidates.