PM to promote women in next Cabinet reshuffle
BRITAIN: Theresa May is considering promotions for seven female ministers in a reshuffle next month in a bid to improve the gender balance of her Cabinet.
The prime minister is contemplating elevating Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, and Karen Bradley, the Culture Secretary.
Meanwhile, she is also looking at bringing other female ministers into the Cabinet including Anne Milton, Claire Perry, Sarah Newton, Margot James and Harriett Baldwin.
However she is being warned by male Tory MPs that women should be promoted on ‘‘absolute merit’’ rather than on the basis of their gender. The prime minister’s 21-strong Cabinet currently has only five female members.
It comes after allies of David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, revealed they fear that he risks being ‘‘marginalised’’ if Boris Johnson is handed a new ‘‘supercharged’’ Brexit role in a reshuffle.
May is reportedly considering moving the Foreign Secretary to replace Greg Clark, the Business Secretary, with the portfolio significantly bolstered to give Johnson more direct ‘‘ownership’’ of Brexit.
The prime minister is likely to be acutely aware of the need to appoint more women to top roles to make the Cabinet more representative of society, having helped create the Women2Win campaign in 2005 to try to boost the number of female Conservative MPs.
Any reshuffle is also likely to be seen through the prism of Brexit, with both the Leave and Remain factions within the Conservative Party keen to ensure their voices are heard.
The combination of those two issues - and the simple fact that May is in control of a minority government propped up by the DUP - means that any significant reshuffle is likely to be fraught with difficulty.
May is also facing pressure to elevate a handful of the Tory MPs elected in 2015 and 2017 to ministerial roles.
Many view elevating new blood as crucial to the party’s hopes of repositioning itself, particularly in the minds of younger voters, after May lead the Conservatives to a disappointing set of election results.
One long-serving male Tory MP said: ‘‘I am sure there will be a push to promote women because Theresa May was in charge of Women2Win.
‘‘It is a big thing for her and does mean that people are promoted not necessarily on merit, which is a worry. It should be on absolute merit.’’
A male Tory MP from the 2017 intake said: ‘‘Women are going to get promoted on merit and there are some very capable women in the party.’’
The MP added: ‘‘There is definitely a pressing case to bring on some of the younger MPs, particularly the 2015ers.
‘‘I don’t think we are going to have a leadership contest at any time soon but people will need junior ministerial experience at least if there is to be a good contest in the future that is not only between the current familiar faces.’’
May is also reportedly considering axing Sir Patrick McLoughlin, the chairman of the Conservative Party, as well as Justine Greening, the Education Secretary, and Chris Grayling, the Transport Secretary.