Boris Johnson set to promote more women to his top team

Boris Johnson is in favour of appointing a more “representative” cabinet in his next reshuffle, Downing Street signalled on Monday. 

Johnson’s press secretary Allegra Stratton said the prime minister regarded himself as a “feminist” and accepted “improvements” were needed with regard to female representation in his government, following criticism that he had failed to promote women within the Conservative party. 

“We know that there is improvement to come in the years ahead . . . when we have promotions to Cabinet,” Stratton said on Monday — international women’s day. “He does accept that he would like to improve how representative his Cabinet is of the population at large.”

Johnson is expected to reshuffle his Cabinet in the coming months, possibly in July before parliament’s summer break, according to MPs with knowledge of the prime minister’s thinking. Promoting women is expected to be a major theme of his new Cabinet. 

There are just five serving female ministers in Johnson’s 23-person Cabinet, including home secretary Priti Patel, international trade secretary Liz Truss and work and pensions secretary Thérèse Coffey. 

According to research published by the House of Commons library last week, the highest proportion of women in Cabinet recorded was between 2006 and 2007 during Tony Blair’s premiership.

Truss is a popular figure within the Conservative party. According to the ConservativeHome website, she has a positive rating of 86 among grassroots members. She is tipped for promotion in the reshuffle, potentially replacing education secretary Gavin Williamson.

Johnson is also expected to look to the junior ministerial ranks for improving diversity in the Cabinet. Kemi Badenoch, equalities minister, is likely to receive a promotion while young MPs from the 2019 intake tipped for ministerial roles include Claire Coutinho, Laura Trott and Miriam Cates.

Some female MPs within the party have criticised the current gender imbalance within the highest levels of government, including chair of the women and equalities select committee, Caroline Nokes. 

“The PM needs to be more than in favour of a more representative Cabinet, he needs to actually do something about it,” the former minister told the Financial Times. “His last three appointments to the Cabinet have all been men, Kwasi Kwarteng, Lord [David] Frost, Michael Ellis. So even without the need for a reshuffle he has managed to find room for men and not women.”

Campaign groups have also urged the prime minister to “take meaningful action” on the issue of gender, arguing that the government’s response to the pandemic has exacerbated inequalities. 

“To be a government for women, it must include women,” said Felicia Willow, chief executive of the gender equality charity, the Fawcett Society. “We need to see a real focus on gender equality and more women in positions of power in Johnson’s cabinet — that’s how he can demonstrate that he is truly a feminist.”

One former cabinet minister stressed the importance of focusing on Johnson’s “deeds not words”.

“The prime minister talks about women in the cabinet as though it is out of his hands,” she added. “But every time he appoints a cabinet minister it is his choice alone.” 

Last month, the government came under fierce criticism after it emerged that attorney-general Suella Braverman would be forced to quit her position in order to take maternity leave.

Parliament subsequently rushed through the Ministerial and other Maternity Allowances Act, which outlined in law, the right for cabinet ministers to take up to six months paid leave while another colleague oversees their responsibilities.

Braverman’s position has been temporarily filled by solicitor general Michael Ellis, who took up the role this month.