Supporters

Philip Davies, MP for Shipley: ‘I stand up where there is an injustice and where people are treated unfairly for no other reason than their sex it seems to be that is indefensible.’

Vicky Ford, MP for Chelmsford: ‘Girls and boys, women and men are equal.  It is completely unacceptable for there to be any area of UK law where one sex is preferred to the other. This has to change.’   

Jo Swinson, MP for Great Dunbartonshire: ‘The House of Lords needs reform in many ways. It is ridiculous that in 2019, so many seats in Parliament are reserved solely for men. The law giving men preference over women is an anachronism and should be scrapped.’

Helen Grant, MP for Maidstone and the Weald: ‘It is a full four years since the Succession to the Crown Act came into force in the UK, ending discrimination against the daughters of a reigning Monarch from acceding the Throne. It is therefore completely absurd that male primogeniture still applies to the hereditary seats in the House of Lords. As Parliamentarians, we have a responsibility to take the lead in defeating gender prejudice, in all of its forms, and that is why I will be wholeheartedly supporting the Hereditary Titles (Female Succession) Bill’.

David Davies, MP for Monmouth: ‘I fully agree that the current legislation which prevents women from succeeding to hereditary titles seems out of date and I will therefore be contacting Philip Davies to ask for my name to be added as a supporter of the Bill.’

Lord Lucas: ‘There is no good reason why the inheritance of a title, which conveys distinction and (for the moment at least) eligibility for election to the House of Lords, should favour men over women, and every reason why we should wipe out this superannuated discrimination.’

Lord Clement-Jones: ‘Nowhere, least of all at the heart of parliament, should we be saying that it is OK to treat daughters differently, of inferior worth, than sons’

Baroness Deech: ‘It is unacceptable that women should be invisible and discriminated against in matters of succession, and in particular they must have their entitlement to seek seats in the House of Lords. It is not right that the UK legislature should enact laws to promote equality and yet fail to ensure it in their own House.’

Sam Smethers, Chief Executive of The Fawcett Society: ‘I completely agree with the campaign and Fawcett is happy to offer our support’.

Earl of Shrewsbury: ‘As a beneficiary of the Male Entail system which in general rules the Hereditary Aristocracy at present, it might be logical to think that I support the continuance of that System. But I am very aware that we live in modern times from which there will be no turning back, and therefore I have changed my views to support the premise of the eldest child – be they male or female – succeeding to the Title.’

Viscount Ridley: ‘This seems like a sensible idea whose time has surely come.’

Lord Fellowes: ‘If you’re asking me if I find it ridiculous that…a perfectly sentient adult woman has no rights of inheritance whatsoever when it comes to a hereditary title, I think it’s outrageous.’

Lord Rennard: ‘It is often a real embarrassment to explain to visitors to the Lords how sons inherit titles, that daughters don’t and that anyone can inherit a position in a legislature.  If titles exist, then there should be no discrimination at all between sons and daughters.’

Baroness Goudie: ‘Parliament has done excellent work for women’s rights, but there is this overlooked corner within parliament that persists in treating women as second to men. We cannot let this archaic discrimination of women continue hiding in the skirts of history.’

Baroness Jenkin: ‘I support this campaign as a simple matter of justice and fairness.’

Lord Lisvane:  ‘This is a long overdue reform which cannot come too soon.’

Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Labour MP for Streatham:  ‘As a committed democrat and feminist, I support the Daughters’ Rights campaign to honour the Equality Act and challenge the indefensible practice of male preference primogeniture. Should this Bill be reintroduced to Parliament, I intend to support and vote in favour of it. ‘