Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine has today slammed the Conservative Government for refusing to act to stop the gender price gap.

Speaking in Parliament today, Ms Jardine asked Victoria Atkins, Minister for Women and Equalities, if the Government would back her Bill to ensure that women cannot be charged more than men purely on the basis of an item’s marketing. Currently women are paying more than men for basic products 40% of the time.

Responding to Ms Jardine, the Minister refused to give the Bill the Conservative Government’s backing and refused to  take action to urge companies to remove the price disparity. The Minister instead put the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of women, telling them to send a signal to retailers.

Following the exchange, Ms Jardine said:

“The Minister recognised that the gender price gap is a serious problem and yet the Conservative Government does not have the courage to stand up to companies and force them to act. They are letting women and girls down through this failure to act. Liberal Democrats demand better.

“I will therefore be writing to manufacturers and retailers right across the UK to ask them to change their outdated and sexist pricing structures, and I’ll be naming and shaming those who refuse to do so.

“I urge the Conservative Government to reconsider, put their obsession with market forces aside, and join me in fighting to stop this injustice.”