The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Sturgeon would join female cabinet to stop no-deal
Nicola Sturgeon would be willing to join an allwomen emergency cabinet in an attempt to block a nodeal Brexit, she told ITV’s Loose Women.
The Scottish First Minister was asked about Caroline Lucas’ suggestion of forming a female-only leadership team opposed to Brexit.
The Brighton Pavillion MP has proposed forming a cabinet of senior crossparty female MPs, if Parliament passes a motion of no confidence in Boris Johnson’s government, to call for a referendum on whether to leave the EU.
Ms Sturgeon revealed she has responded to the Green MP’s invitation.
She said: “I’m happy to work with anybody – male or female, I have to say – to try to stop Brexit, in particular to try to avoid a no-deal Brexit, which I think would be really, really damaging.
“I’m all for more women in politics; I think we can bring a different perspective. But I do feel duty-bound to point out the former prime minister was a woman and didn’t manage to sort out Brexit so there’s maybe a flaw in that somewhere.”
Describing Ms Lucas as “a fantastic MP”, the SNP leader added: “I’m more than happy to band together with a bunch of other women.”
Ms Lucas also wrote to Labour’s Emily Thornberry and Yvette Cooper, Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson, former Tory cabinet minister Justine Greening, Change UK MP Anna Soubry, independent MP Heidi Allen, the SNP’s Kirsty Blackman, the independent Northern Irish MP Sylvia Hermon and Plaid Cymru’s Liz Saville Roberts.
The proposal sparked some backlash for not including any black or ethnic minority women in her hypothetical cabinet.
Ms Lucas responded to the accusation on Twitter, saying: “The list of women came about because they comprise the leadership/ deputy leadership of the relevant parties/groupings/ nations of the UK. But... it absolutely needs to be opened out further eg would love Diane Abbott to be involved.”