Women’s Minister ‘demoted’ on first day in job
NEW Women’s Minister Nicky Morgan was immediately plunged into a row yesterday after it emerged that she will not hold the full Cabinet rank of her predecessor.
Labour seized on the ‘demotion’ of the role as further evidence that David Cameron has a ‘women problem’.
Mrs Morgan, 42, will attend Cabinet but will not have full voting rights, taking the number of female full Cabinet ministers from four to three. She also takes over the powerful role of Financial Secretary, making her effectively number three at the Treasury.
Downing Street raised eyebrows by initially suggesting the new Culture Secretary, Sajid Javid, would retain overall responsibility for women’s issues in his new role as equalities minister. But Number 10 later said this was a ‘mistake’. Mrs Morgan will now report directly to Mr Cameron like other Cabinet ministers.
Labour said the confusion was further evidence of Mr Cameron’s ‘blind spot’ about women. Gloria De Piero, shadow minister for women and equalities, said: ‘There are now just three women running Government departments out of a possible 22, demonstrating that when it comes to women, it’s out of sight, out of mind.’
But Planning Minister Nick Boles, a key ally of the Prime Minister, said the criticism was ridiculous. Mr Boles, who
is openly gay, wrote on Twitter: ‘Nothing irritates me more about the Left than the tedious suggestion that the rights and interests of women can only be promoted by a woman.
‘Does that mean that my rights and interests as a gay man can only be promoted by another gay man?’
Mrs Morgan has faced criticism from some activists over her opposition to gay marriage. The former corporate lawyer was one of 128 Tory MPs who voted against it last year.
She said at the time it was a ‘fact that marriage is between a man and a woman’. Veteran activist Peter Tatchell said her appointment would undermine efforts to promote equality. ‘How can Nicky be an effective and fully inclusive Minister for Women if she doesn’t sup- port the right of lesbian women to marry their partners?’ he added.
No 10 stressed that the mini-reshuffle meant there were now four ministers rather than three with responsibility for women’s issues: Mr Javid, Mrs Morgan, Helen Grant and Lib Dem Jenny Willott.
Mr Javid was the big winner from Maria Miller’s departure yesterday, moving from number three at the Treasury to take charge of his own department.
Chancellor George Osborne also ended a rumoured block on promotion for Tory MP Andrea Leadsom. She blotted her copybook in 2012 when she suggested he should apologise to Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls over the Libor ratefixing scandal. But yesterday she was appointed to replace Mrs Morgan as Economic Secretary to the Treasury.