I PONDERED a couple of weeks ago why the Conservatives in Worcester hadn't wheeled out a youngish, female Parliamentary candidate to rival Mike Foster.

It seems the party hasn't been blessed with a surfeit of women in their 30s keen to land a place in the Mother of Parliaments.

One of my contacts told me a woman candidate had been interviewed in the early stages and was rated highly, but was offered a post elsewhere before she could be picked to stand in Worcester.

At county level, as well as national, the Conservatives are dominated by elderly or middle-aged men.

Worcester City Council's a very different story. Cruel hacks at the Evening News have been known to jibe that Councillor Simon Geraghty, who represents St Clement, must need a note from his mum so that he can stay up late for meetings on school nights.

But, even on the city council, there aren't many women in the party ranks. Time for the authority to explore its feminine side, I think.