Welsh Parliament leads on gender equality, with 42% women compared to Westminster’s 29%

It shows that Wales is leading the way on gender balance with 41.7% female AMs, while the Scottish Parliament comes in second with 35.2% MSPs.

Despite a huge upsurge in female MPs being elected to Westminster at the last general election – the 2015 intake included 46% women – the UK Parliament still lags behind on 29.4%

Northern Ireland is the only devolved assembly which is more unequal, at 21.3%.

Dods Parliamentary Companion provides a comprehensive overview of who’s who in UK politics and has done since its first edition in 1832, with the latest version out this week. 

Setting out the benefit of the Companion, Tom Harris, Reference Data Manager at Dods, said:

“The wealth of biographical and political information Dods Parliamentary Companion contains on our representatives in Westminster and the devolved legislatures provides a valuable overview of the UK political system.

"With over a quarter MPs newly elected in May the contents of the 2016 edition are markedly different from the last, but it is clear the demographics of the House of Commons are still not lining up with the population its members represent.”

The publication, a copy of which sits beside the Speaker’s chair, also looked at parliamentarians’ educational background.

Somewhat surprisingly it highlighted that the percentage of Oxbridge graduates among Labour and Conservatives MPs was not vastly different, at 23.3% and 33.2%, respectively.

More predictably, the number of SNP Members in that category was 0. 

Looking further back to MP’s secondary school education, the release found that the only party whose MPs had attended Eton was the Conservatives, with more than 1 in 20 having been to the prestigious private school.

Paying tribute to the guide, Leader of the House Chris Grayling wrote: “Dods is almost part of the furniture at Westminster – a valuable source of information for Members of Parliament and others since the early nineteenth century.

“But its importance goes beyond the Westminster village. It provides a window onto our political processes for people up and down the country, and in particular it helps educate a younger generation about the role that Parliament plays in their democracy.”

To order your copy of Dods Parliamentary Companion or to contact the team: click on Dods Shop, Email (information@dods.co.uk) or call 020 7593 5745.