Briefing against women ministers in Westminster

I guess the anonymous briefers, briefing against a colleague anonymously knows the detail and content of their brief alongside the PM to whom the anonymous brief is communicated.

I would imagine this anonymous kind of tittle tattle happens in many walks of life.

AB merely answered a question by saying he would not tolerate anonymous briefings against another minister of this anonymous nature.

Eh? Briefed against what? Post makes no sense, sorry

There are generally many more men in politics than women. There has been a boys club in politics for centuries and its a slow process to achieve cultural change.

AB responded to a specific question and answered he will not tolerate anybody (male or female) seeking to brief against another if elected PM. In my book his answer to that question was positive.

If he's elected as PM, as we all expect in a few weeks, he will be saying a lot of things and they will be reported in the media with a variety of spins.

AB will continue to have supporters and detractors. Spin from detractors will continue to be negative, ie AB 'will say anything, or do anything to look good and curry favour for a sound byte" Well the press are all over reporting about him so AB seeking a sound byte is spin. But the facts - either way are a much better arbiter than spin- and it for us as individuals to discern the difference.

I'm sure we will continue to see many more posts with such views whilst others will have a different view. Twas ever thus in politics 😊

Burnham will say anything, or do anything to look good and curry favour for a sound byte

I think Politics is still a Boys Club.

Sorry, a Mans World.

Reform female councillors in west Northampton all resigned because of prejudice and boys club attitudes- another thing that party is rubbish at

sundowngirl

Wyllow3 - I don't think Margaret Thatcher was dreadul - I thought she was great, I wish she were PM now

Yvette Cooper is too weak to be PM, that is why she was moved on from home secretary

Although I salute some of Thatcher's person qualities and how she stood up for herself I also think she was a dreadful PM - as judged by her legacy that resulted some very long lasting adverse consequences for the country.

Yvette Copper has not selected herself as contender in current leadership contest- her choice.

Cossy

eazybee

Is there any evidence other than from Burnham?

It has been obvious during his brief tenure as PM that Starmer has a problem with women, but that is a different issue.

Really? Or are you harping back yet again to the gender, sex and trans issues? Yawn!

Starmer selected 11 women for his cabinet- the most women selected by any government in senior roles ever that is to his credit.

Wyllow3 - I don't think Margaret Thatcher was dreadul - I thought she was great, I wish she were PM now

Yvette Cooper is too weak to be PM, that is why she was moved on from home secretary

LemonJam

Thus there is little, in fact no judgement is "selecting" contenders for leadership roles- it is self selecting.

👏👏👏👏👏

We need to encourage our young female politicians to put themselves forward.

eazybee

Is there any evidence other than from Burnham?

It has been obvious during his brief tenure as PM that Starmer has a problem with women, but that is a different issue.

Really? Or are you harping back yet again to the gender, sex and trans issues? Yawn!

Thus there is little, in fact no judgement is "selecting" contenders for leadership roles- it is self selecting.

Rosie51

MaizieD

Rosie51

Labour only ever elect white males as leader, The first step outside this will more likely be a male who is black or brown rather than a female. You have to give it to the Conservatives they’ve had all variations despite their other faults.

I think that the tory record of ‘diversity’ in their leadership has been more a result of luck than of judgement.

I’d also suggest that most have been poor leaders among a plethora of poor leaders. 🤔

Oh come on, give credit it where it’s due they actually elected women as well as black and brown people, something that appears to be beyond Labour. Why does that constitute luck rather than judgement. I may not vote Conservative but I do credit them with being able to decide who to vote for. Labour in its entire history can’t see beyond white male.

With 11 women, Starmer appointed a cabinet with the highest number of female ministers in political history - credit where its due 👏

As posted earlier, it entirely depends on how many women step forward to be selected in the first place. Historically for both Conservative and Labour Party not many women have stepped forward for selection- that's the rub.

Three women have officially stood as candidates in final Labour Party leadership elections: Margaret Beckett (1992), Rebecca Long-Bailey (2020), and Lisa Nandy (2020). Additionally, Harriet Harman served twice as acting leader though never in an elected, permanent capacity.

1992 Deputy leadership Contest Margaret Beckett stood for the deputy leadership and became the first woman to lead the party in a temporary capacity following the death of John Smith in 1994, though she did not contest the substantive leader election that followed
2020 Contest Rebecca Long-Bailey and Lisa Nandy were both on the final ballot alongside current Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Keith Starmer won the ballot.
2026 Contest Starmer has resigned and (thus far) only Andy Burnham has stepped forward as a contender.

Conservative Party- historically, Thatcher was leader of Conservative party in 1975. After her resignation no women stood in any Conservative Party leader elections until 2016

2016 Contest Teresa May, Andrea Leasom stood against Gove and May won the vote
* 2019 contest* - all male, no women stood and Boris won the vote
* 2022 Contest* Truss, Mordaunt and Badenoch stood against Sunak and Truss won the vote but only lasted weeks before she resigned. Sunak became PM without a GE. He resigned May 2024 and called for a GE which Starmer won for Labour Party
2024 Contest Badenoch won the leadership vote against Robert Jenrick

thus it can be easily seen its more the case that so very few women step forward for party leadership roles and so infrequently Until this changes the more pertinent issue meanwhile is how many females a PM selects for their cabinet in senior leadership roles. Labour wins hands down in that ongoing competition

I don't think anyone would dispute the fact that Thatcher was a strong leader.

It's just a shame that her 'strong leadership' set the UK on the path to decline, as many other countries which also embraced her (and the USA's) economic policies are now finding...

Wyllow3

Thatcher was dreadful.

I wanted Yvette Cooper when she stood. Got Corbyn.Way the cookie crumbles, I don't experience that there is anything in the LP stopping it as such.

Here is Cooper in 2015. Missed opportunity.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-33880848

Thatcher was a strong leader with non u-turning clarity, whether one agrees with her politics or not.

I don't think it was luck. It was that they see 'Tory' rather than 'female' 'black' 'gay'.

I think they were hoping for another Thatcher when it came to female leaders. I also think they think they've found one in Badenoch...

Sunak, coming after Truss's budget disaster (when he had previously been beaten by her) I think got it by virtue of being a 'businessman' and a previous apparently successful Chancellor. I think his colour worked against him when he was up against Truss.

TBH, I don't think much logic applies to the choice of party leaders, it seems to me to be a bit of a beauty contest. Perhaps Labour members tend to be a bit misogynistic with their choices, though the unions seem happy to choose women leaders and there are female Labour Metro Mayors (different electorates, though)

Anyway, we're stuck with another white male Labour leader as no women seem inclined to challenge him.

I don't think it was luck. It was that they see 'Tory' rather than 'female' 'black' 'gay'.
The fact that Thatcher was dreadful is irrelevant surely if your aim is to have a woman leader, there will be dreadful ones and good ones, same as men.
To give labour credit if you like the identity politics thing they did have a Jewish leader of the party.

MaizieD

Rosie51

Labour only ever elect white males as leader, The first step outside this will more likely be a male who is black or brown rather than a female. You have to give it to the Conservatives they’ve had all variations despite their other faults.

I think that the tory record of ‘diversity’ in their leadership has been more a result of luck than of judgement.

I’d also suggest that most have been poor leaders among a plethora of poor leaders. 🤔

Oh come on, give credit it where it’s due they actually elected women as well as black and brown people, something that appears to be beyond Labour. Why does that constitute luck rather than judgement. I may not vote Conservative but I do credit them with being able to decide who to vote for. Labour in its entire history can’t see beyond white male.

Thatcher was dreadful.

I wanted Yvette Cooper when she stood. Got Corbyn.Way the cookie crumbles, I don't experience that there is anything in the LP stopping it as such.

Here is Cooper in 2015. Missed opportunity.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-33880848

Rosie51

Labour only ever elect white males as leader, The first step outside this will more likely be a male who is black or brown rather than a female. You have to give it to the Conservatives they’ve had all variations despite their other faults.

I think that the tory record of ‘diversity’ in their leadership has been more a result of luck than of judgement.

I’d also suggest that most have been poor leaders among a plethora of poor leaders. 🤔

Labour only ever elect white males as leader, The first step outside this will more likely be a male who is black or brown rather than a female. You have to give it to the Conservatives they’ve had all variations despite their other faults.

Reform party does not. have a democratic system

Count to date:

Conservative Party - 4- Thatcher, May, Truss ( only lasted several weeks) and Badenoch.

Labour-0
Lib Dems-1
SNP -1
Reform UK- 0

It very much depends on each party's leader selection process and who, male or female is stadingtso be selected/voted in as the party leader the time. For most of the parties the person who secures the most votes from that party's electorate becomes leader, whether male or female.

For example AB is male and no other contenders, thus far, male or female have come forward for selection. So it looks likely we will have a male PM.

Reform UK does appear to have a democratic selection process for its leader I understand.

A party is more than just the leader- the cabinets also very important. It's good to have a PM that has a good. mix. of male and female ministers and cabinet.

I think that sexism about the first female leader is actually quite a common theme. You see it in discussions around the female tory leaders, when people claim they aren't really female leaders because they 'behave like men'. It is all linked to the weird stereotypes people have about the two sexes.

If AB becomes PM- all eyes. will be on his actions for the next 3 years as it is for all PMs. The electorate will make their judgements and vote accordingly at the next GE.

Twas ever thus.

Burnham, the very new MP for Makerfield, may say anything he pleases and frequently does so. Words are cheap.

We are more concerned about what action actually follows.