Labour minister Mary Creagh attacks Thomas the Tank Engine over lack of female characters
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Thomas the Tank Engine is sending out the wrong message to children and needs more female engines to encourage girls to become train drivers, Labour’s shadow transport secretary has said.
Mary Creagh said the lack of female train drivers in Britain was a “national scandal” and that the “negative stereotypes” seen in children’s shows were partly to blame.
Mrs Creagh used the example of Thomas, saying that while the books and television show are “wonderful”, they contain hardly any female characters.
“In the Thomas the Tank Engine books there are almost no female engines. The only female characters are an annoyance, a nuisance and in some cases a danger to the functioning of the railway,” she said.
She was referring to the original books’ only female characters: coaches Annie and Clarabel, Isabel the auto coach, elderly woman Mrs Kyndley, and female engine Daisy.
Thomas and the remaining characters are all male.
Train drivers' union Aslef is currently working to encourage more women into the industry, where only 4.2 per cent of workers are female - equating to 1,000 train drivers.
Mrs Creagh suggested train companies could recruit more female drivers by advertising in magazines such as Good Housekeeping and Women’s Own and by offering more flexible, part-time work.
According to the Telegraph, the mother-of-two said: ”There is a preponderance of men in the transport industry and I am very keen to unpack some of the myths that stop women from taking up what are often highly paid and highly skilled jobs.“
There are now 42 book in the Thomas the Tank Engine series, which was created in 1946 by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry. The TV show has been running since 1984 and is currently broadcast by Channel 5.
Mrs Creagh drew unfavourable comparisons with the CBeebies series Underground Ernie, which features a train called Victoria as its main character.
Hit Entertainment, the company which owns the rights to Thomas & Friends, admitted there was a ”historical imbalance“, but said more female engines are "in development."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments