▁Disc rim ination ▁( E lection ▁C andid ates ) ▁Act ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁which ▁allows ▁parties ▁to ▁use ▁positive ▁disc rim ination ▁in ▁the ▁selection ▁of ▁candidates . ▁They ▁were ▁to ▁remain ▁legal ised ▁until ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁" S un set ▁Cla use ", ▁but ▁that ▁dead line ▁was ▁extended ▁to ▁ 2 0 3 0 ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Equ ality ▁Act ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁ ▁In ▁contrast , ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Democr ats ▁rejected ▁a ▁proposal ▁to ▁use ▁AWS ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 ; ▁suggesting ▁such ▁short lists ▁were ▁ill iber al ▁and ▁unnecessary . ▁Prom inent ▁women ▁MP s ▁of ▁the ▁party ▁opposed ▁the ▁ ▁use ▁of ▁all - w omen ▁short lists . ▁Party ▁members ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁main ▁problem ▁was ▁not ▁disc rim ination , ▁but ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁female ▁candidates . ▁Instead ▁the ▁party ▁set ▁a ▁target ▁of ▁having ▁ 4 0 % ▁female ▁candidates ▁in ▁w inn able ▁seats . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁general ▁election , ▁the ▁short lists ▁helped ▁to ▁increase ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁female ▁MP s ▁in ▁Parliament ▁to ▁ 1 2 8 , ▁with ▁the ▁Labour ▁Party ' s ▁ 9 8 ▁women ▁const itut ing ▁ 7 7 % ▁of ▁the ▁total . ▁ ▁However , ▁a ▁Labour - control led ▁" safe ▁seat " ▁was ▁lost ▁when ▁explicitly ▁anti - A WS ▁independent ▁candidate ▁Peter ▁Law ▁won ▁the