Simon Danczuk and Liz McInnes vote for pay equality

Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk and Heywood and Middleton MP Liz McInnes joined the rest of their party in voting to make law the transparency of equal pay.

In a measure put forward by Labour, they voted in Parliament to introduce pay transparency across large companies, which would require companies employing over 250 staff to publish their own gender pay gap in their annual report.

Mr Danczuk and Ms McInnes were joined in Parliament by four of the original Dagenham women who went on strike for equal pay leading to the Equal Pay Act of 1970, as well as stars of the hit musical 'Made in Dagenham', Gemma Arterton and Isla Blair.

Rotherham MP Sarah Champion steered the Equal Pay (Transparency) Bill through Parliament last week.

The Bill passed its first vote in the Commons by 258 votes to eight.

The Lib Dem Minister for Women and Equalities, Jo Swinson, abstained from voting.

As the Bill was put forward on a Ten-Minute Rule motion it means it is unlikely to become law without Government backing due to a lack of parliamentary time.

Women still earn an average 81p for every pound earned by men, despite the Equal Pay Act being passed 44 years ago.

Labour released new analysis of official figures which show that the pay gap means women, on average, earn £209,976 less over their lifetime than men.