I HAVE

never been a huge fan of gender balancing – the notion that political cabinets, corporate boards and so on should be 50 per cent female. While I understand that women are poorly represented at the highest levels of many industries, being handed a job because of your gender rather than your ability seems at best patronising, at worst, dangerous.

It can also put those in charge in the position of cutting their nose off to spite their face. Want proof that gender balancing doesn’t work? Angela Constance is still in the cabinet.