To be so happy at so many women in the cabinet

[Standupcitizen]

Anyone else absolutely thrilled to see women represented equally in the cabinet for the first time ever?

22 appointments. 11 women, 11 men. It seems completely deliberate. Previously the highest % of females in the cabinet was something like 38%. First female chancellor in history as well.

I feel elated that for the first time in my life, we have equality of the sexes in government.

Whatever you think of starmer, the labour party or of the women in question, this is absolutely huge to me, i feel ridiculously emotional about it. I think as a woman who has been dismissed, talked over, belittled, discriminated against and overlooked for promotion in favour of men in the workplace - if the government can do it, then other companies have no excuse.

Angela Rayner and her ilk are representative of most of the population. Anyone who attended private school is not.
Someone having a local accent and a slightly less refined turn of phrase does not indicate anything at all about their intelligence or ability.

Rich people are not better than anyone else - they are just richer.

If state school isn't good enough for the leaders of our country it isn't good enough for anyone.

If someone got into Cambridge that indicates that their education is good enough. especially if they came from a state school in the 70s!! Only exceptional state school pupils got into Cambridge then, and even more so the fact that she is working class, black and female - this was long before widening participation - an amazing achievement and far greater than someone who had rich parents and went to Eton

Come on. You know perfectly well she was investigated by the police and HMRC and they found nothing.

@FauxOutrage / can’t agree with you on that. The point about private education is that it makes an average student good. A brilliant one is the same. By the time you get to Oxford there will be no effective difference in talent. It’s just that top universities are less full of the kind of suet public school puddings because it is now properly competitive.

That was a nasty snobbish comment, wasn’t it?

The Sutton Trust weren't allocating jobs.
We'll all have to wait to see what these MPs achieve. Then we'll see if you have a point.

There are many ways to gain an education.

Oh come on. She has a qualification in social care from Stockport College. That is a much more representative level of education than Oxbridge. I attended a comp near Stockport myself and most of my classmates went to local colleges rather than university. Lots of them went to Stockport College in fact. Only 1 person from my year went to Oxbridge.

It is not an insult to have a vocational qualification and go into care work. How rude. I hope you never need care from anyone if that is your attitude.

Entry requirements vary for different jobs... Lots of jobs only require experience, not specific qualifications

Yes but there does need to an open access scheme for Reform MPs! Quality getting in the way of all that common sense. Can you imagine?

In your opinion.

I worked in recruitment and HR for 30 years. I don't think I ever saw someone laugh at someone who didn't meet the entry requirements. I did see hundreds of people employed (and then successful) because they had the right aptitude and attitude.

I just wonder what you've done with your life compared to Angela Rayner. She's doing well and I believe she will be fantastic for the country.

University of hard knocks and tough surprises.

Results matter and politics is about delivery (why the Conservatives lost). I imagine there will be a lot of announcements and legislation put forward in the first six months.

And yet she’s achieved more than any of us with probably umpteen degrees between us.

David Cameron said he would have done the same if he was in office. How conveniently Tory supporters forget that.

Obviously he values education. He also values grit, determination, courage, experience and native wit which can clearly get a person a very long way. It’s a shame so few people possess all those qualities.

YANBU
It's great.
Love seeing Yvette Cooper and Angela Rayner in prominent positions.

Same