Burnham’s government set to be majority female in UK first
Andy Burnham’s government is the first to have more women than men.
Listen to this article
With the announcement of Parliamentary Private Secretaries (PPSs), a form of junior minister, the government now has 84 women in ministerial positions compared to 83 men.
In a letter to Labour MPs announcing the appointment of PPSs, Chief Whip Anneliese Midgeley said that “Our aim has been to assemble a diverse and talented group of PPSs, bringing together a broad range of experience, expertise and perspectives to support ministers and help deliver the prime minister’s agenda.”
Members of the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party wrote to Andy Burnham after his election, urging him to ensure at least 50% of his ministers were women.
The letter, first revealed by LBC, said that female MPs “fought very hard to achieve our electoral success only to find that we are battling within our own party to be heard as women.”
“Rooms where decisions are being made are often closed to us leading to blind spots in appointment decisions and policy development. The tendency of previous leaderships to sideline the voices of women makes us a weaker government.”
The group of MPs also requested Burnham boost the role of women’s and equalities minister and have them attend cabinet.
Bridget Philipson now fulfils that role, and will attend cabinet.
Read More: Why are Southerners living longer in the UK than Northerners, and will Andy Burnham address this?
Read More: Andy Burnham considers 10 per cent ‘death tax’ to fund free social care for elderly
One female minister told LBC that having a majority female government “acknowledges the importance” of women in Labour, adding it is “also a testament to the polite persistence of female colleagues, especially those in the women’s PLP that drafted the letter and got it under the nose of the new leadership.”
“We also know this agenda requires eternal vigilance. So we will continue to keep an eye on numbers and especially the pipeline to ensure women get the chance to develop their skills so they are the inevitable choice.”