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.

That may be so but he thinks that a man can grow a cervix.

I don't care. I want the best person for the job.

Exactly, so why discriminate against the son of a local scrap metal merchant who went to private school cost his parents could afford it?

Sunak's cabinet were almost 9 times more likely to have attended private school. 45% attended oxbridge.

I'm very happy that we have cabinet ministers in prominent positions who have grown up in social housing, used free school meals and attended state schools. I am able to have hope that the government might understand what things are like at this end of the scale and start to look after working class people.

Actually, in terms of ethnicity and sex the new cabinet is a pretty good representation of the UK. Well, of England and Wales anyway. I haven't looked at Scotland and NI as this is what came up when I googled as I was interested after reading this thread.

2/22 Asian 9%

1/22 Black 4.5%
1/22 White other 4.5% (Ed Miliband - European Jewish ethnicity)

Would have been nice to see even more minorities represented but this really isn't as bad as this thread made it sound.

Yes - exactly.

Dont confuse privately educated with Oxbridge. Many of Starmer's cabinet went to Oxbridge, but anyone in theory can go if theyre clever enough.

Who's discriminating against him?

You missed the bit about 9 times more likely to be privately educated.

I care about his competence for the Cabinet role he's been given, not that he said something that GC women didn't like.

I like that Lammy has already been to visit some of our European friends. A positive sign.

Which one do you think didn’t cause lasting damage?

Every PM causes lasting damage in their own way.

They could have 22 feminists in but imo they’re still going to take away all the countryside, borrow more than they can afford, pass ULEZ, means-test our pension, over tax people & chuck millions at a terribly run NHS.

I’m on the fence about May but it could be a full house.

It's like I'm not allowed to be happy that we finally have women and the working class represented in government because it means we are somehow discriminating against privately educated men - who are among the most privileged people in society and the least likely to be actually discriminated against!

Someone please make it make sense!

What a delightfully vivid imagination you have.

Could you please provide links proving that all these interventions are firmly intended government policy?

just for you, I’ve edited to state the obvious that’s it ‘imo’ & time will tell!

@Standupcitizen of course it's a reason to celebrate, a mix of men and women is a good thing and we've come a long way since Blair's Babes of 1997.

Saying something so stupid and scientifically illiterate doesn't exactly give confidence in this hidden competence.

Liz Truss was roundly dunked on as Foreign Secretary for saying something stupid about cheese and even that wasn't as stupid as Lammy thinking men can grow a cervix.

I thought it would be May…Brexit red lines make her a lasting damager for me - even though she didn’t finish the job, she limited the options.

Prime Ministers who happen to be female (that’s without penises, Keir & your ideologically captured cabinet of MPs who lack the ability to critically think for themselves) aren’t elected to office to do anything specifically for their sex. They’re supposedly there to govern the country.

Margaret Thatcher abhorred box ticking exercises and so hardly would’ve been the PM to hire women (the ones without penises!) for the optics. (Hello Kier!)

Especially when she had managed to break into the higher echelons of the Tory party at a time when many of her own party looked down on her for being lower or middle class.

You should be happy as I am that there are as many women in the cabinet, I would hope.

Also that they seem capable, and unlike those particularly in the Johnson government, include roles where you can gain political credit.

Just to reiterate the point from @IdLikeToBeAFraser ...

Life changing for me as a women who has spent her entire life looking around asking, "why aren't there more women here?"

This is the point.