Labour MP visits in pink campaign bus

Shadow minster for women and equality Gloria De Piero spoke to women in Dewsbury and Cleckheaton alongside prospective parliamentary candidates Paula Sherriff (Dewsbury and Mirfield) and Jo Cox (Batley and Spen).

Ms De Piero said: “Labour’s women’s campaign is about reaching out across Britain to talk to women about the issues important in their lives, and how a Labour government will benefit them and their families, from boosting the minimum wage and banning exploitative zero-hour contracts, to cutting small business rates and providing 25 hours free childcare for three and four-year-olds of working parents.”

Mrs Cox said: “Nine million women did not vote in the last general election. Labour is reaching out to those women as we campaign to offer a government that will treat people with compassion and fairness.

“I’m delighted Gloria had the time to visit Batley and Spen and meet some of the truly inspirational women who live and work here.”

Miss Sherriff told Asda staff: “It would transform politics if women like you were involved.”

The visit on Tuesday was part of Labour’s Woman to Woman campaign, which is intended to engage women with politics.

But its centrepiece, a bright pink bus, has been widely labelled as “patronising” on social media.

A demonstration was planned by campaign group New Fathers 4 Justice in Dewsbury but only one protester appeared to be present.

The group is a splinter sect of Fathers 4 Justice UK and campaigns against what it perceives to be unfairness towards men in family courts.