Andy Burnham has pledged to eliminate the practice of undermining female ministers through unofficial disclosures if he assumes the role of Prime Minister.
During a gathering of the women’s Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), the potential Prime Minister expressed his commitment to dismissing any team member engaged in sexist attacks and emphasized the necessity for a shift in the prevailing culture.
The move comes in response to grievances from senior Labour women regarding what they perceived as a consistent flow of negative disclosures to the media targeting female ministers.
Moreover, Burnham criticized recent remarks made by an unnamed party member to The Spectator, claiming he would be labeled “Labour’s first woman prime minister” due to his focus on issues like health, education, family finances, and public safety.
The comment sparked outrage among MPs and underscored existing tensions within Labour concerning the absence of a female leader, contrasting with the Conservative Party, which has seen four female leaders, including three Prime Ministers.
Addressing the PLP meeting, Burnham emphasized the importance of cultural change, stating unequivocally that individuals within his team engaging in negative disclosures would face immediate dismissal.
Additionally, he clarified that he had never referred to himself as a prospective first female Labour PM.
Meanwhile, Keir Starmer has consistently condemned negative briefings against colleagues and appointed several women to prominent positions within his team, including Rachel Reeves as the first female Chancellor, Yvette Cooper as Foreign Secretary, and Shabana Mahmood as Home Secretary.
Despite these efforts, complaints persist regarding attacks on senior female figures within the party. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy previously denounced some briefings as blatantly misogynistic, while Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson disclosed experiencing sexist briefings in the past.
Former Transport Secretary Louise Haigh also raised concerns about a recurring pattern of sexist and misogynistic leaks.
As Burnham faces mounting pressure to appoint women to key roles in his potential Cabinet, a group of Labour’s female MPs penned a letter urging him to ensure gender balance in his team and select a female deputy PM.
The MPs highlighted the need to have women involved in decision-making processes to avoid oversight in appointments and policy formulation, arguing that sidelining women’s voices weakens the government.
The group also raised issues related to structural misogyny, bullying culture, tolerance of harassment, and inadequate engagement with the party and the PLP, urging for immediate action to rectify these concerns.