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The Labour Party wants the option of banning men from standing in certain electorates – a bizarre stunt to give life to the wearied governing parties. What becomes obvious, sadly, is that Labour is not so sure what equality is, or what is actually more important. It also gives me a reason to confront the notion of putting equality ahead of everything else.

Have a read, if you’re curious, of books by Hayek, von Mises, Nozick, Friedman or Wilder-Lane (and others). If you haven’t read them, you’ll have to take my word that they demonstrate very good arguments. They reason that a person at liberty (regardless of background, and dependent upon perspective) is a person who can unleash their potential for achievement.

Such a person could lead, for example, an at-risk youth to the conclusion that she can think for herself and achieve great things. In doing so she will learn the abilities needed to make her self-confidence a real thing. She will go on in life knowing that her efforts will make a difference, and that she can be in charge of her own happiness. If you come from an underprivileged background, similar to or worse than mine, you’ll most likely have experienced this.

Something else that underprivileged people experience is being kept out. Which, unfortunately and ironically for Labour, is what will happen with a mechanism so open to abuse by those already on the inside.

Examples like this aren’t just found in the Labour Party. The minimum wage is another mechanism by which equality would be achieved, but only by those whose earning power presently matches $13.50 an hour. Those who are in no position, at present, to climb over this barrier are either forced to accept fewer hours, more part-time jobs or state welfare.

Equality by edict is not equality at all, but privilege.

If you take into account the needs and desires of individuals, you’ll find that equality is not as simple as having the same stuff or being the same thing. Equality is as much about being able as it is about being allowed to do the same thing as somebody else.

Finally, if you really care about equality, consider these words from Milton Friedman: “A society that puts equality before freedom will get neither. A society that puts freedom before equality will get a high degree of both.”