Employment Minister Priti Patel has compared women #Brexiteers to Suffragettes 

#Brussels :  Employment Minister Priti Patel has compared women Brexiteers to Suffragettes, saying they didn’t fight for the vote to give power away to Brussels.

Launching Women For Britain, a women’s group campaigning to leave the EU, Ms Patel said women did not want to see money and influence given to Europe.

She told Sky News: “Women didn’t fight for the right to vote to then give away powers and decision-making to Brussels and to unelected bureaucrats in Europe.

“Women didn’t fight to get the right to vote to see money, hard-pressed taxpayers’ cash, being sent to the EU and then when it does come back to the UK we are then told how it should be spent.”

She said women were naturally more risk averse and were more likely to be affected by scaremongering tactics from campaign groups.

Polls suggest women are twice as likely to be undecided as men and the campaign groups will be eager to capture the women’s vote.

Ms Patel said in a speech on International Women’s Day: “As a Suffragette, Pankhurst fought for the rights of women to have a vote, a voice and a say in how their society is governed and who governs it.

“In many ways, Women for Britain are fighting for the same cause.

“The Suffragettes fought for our democratic freedom. Now we are the ones who must fight to protect it.”

She warned: “While we remain in the EU, the potential and ambition of women is being held back.”

Labour Women’s Emma Reynolds, who is part of the Labour In For Britain group, said she disagreed with Ms Patel and the EU did not hold back women.

She told Sky News the EU had brought rights for women and added: “All these rights that we take for granted are at European levels – paid annual leave, paid maternity leave, part-time workers’ rights and agency workers’ rights are on the ballot paper come 23 June.”

She said that women would be vital to the referendum, with one million more women able to vote than men.

Ms Reynolds said the debate had so far been dominated by the Conservatives and the view of Boris Johnson but added: “I hope that now women’s voices will start to be heard more clearly because I do think that women … who are undecided will be receptive to the messages that women have to bring to them. “So I do hope we can see a more balanced debate from hereon in.” By Agencies.