Lucy Powell has insisted a “boys club” culture within No 10, including “nasty” anonymous briefings targeting women, will change under Andy Burnham, the presumptive successor to Sir Keir Starmer.
Labour’s deputy leader said she believed the “unpleasant” culture would be different under Mr Burnham, telling The Guardian that in Sir Keir’s Downing Street, “there was very clearly a pattern over time of anonymous nasty briefings against colleagues being disproportionately meted out to women.”
She continued, “But there was also a culture that became very factional, and appointments being made on the basis of which faction or which friendship group you were in… It was not a meritocracy in any sense and not a broad church.”
Burnham backer Ms Powell said the briefings “created more of a culture of not feeling that you could speak out on things… for fear of giving you a black mark against your name”.
She said female Cabinet ministers – including herself, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper – had been disproportionately targeted, pointing to a “boys club” at the top of Government.
Asked if she thought that would change under Mr Burnham, Ms Powell said: “I do – how is something we’ll all need to help with, and be part of.”
Mr Burnham reportedly told women in the Parliamentary Labour Party this week that he would sack anyone in his team found to have issued negative briefings.
With ministers jostling to be appointed to a Burnham Cabinet, there is an intense focus on who he will pick and how many women will be part of his top team.
Ms Powell said the debate was “not about quotas”, but “ensuring that we are thinking about all of these things” and “that we’re listening to the quiet voices too”, as more diversity led to “better decisions”.
Makerfield MP Mr Burnham, who has faced accusations of dodging scrutiny ahead of his expected entry into Downing Street as early as July 20, posted a video answering questions on the social media platform Instagram on Saturday.
They mainly focused on issues where he has already set out his plans, including his vow to take “stronger public control of essential services” such as water and energy, to oversee the “the biggest council house building programme this country has seen since the Second World War”, and to “increase business rates on out-of-town warehouses so that we can lift high street businesses, particularly hospitality businesses, out of them altogether”.
The former Greater Manchester mayor revealed his ideal Greggs order was a sausage, cheese and bean melt.
The video followed his Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on the social media site Reddit on Friday, after he faced flak for refusing to take questions from journalists following his one major speech of the leadership campaign so far.
Meanwhile, outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir said in his first sit-down interview since he announced his resignation that Labour “should go on to win the next election” under Mr Burnham because of the work he had done in power.
Asked about his achievements as Prime Minister and as leader of the Labour Party, Sir Keir pointed to efforts to tackle antisemitism in the party in opposition, the 2024 general election victory and said his Government had “stabilised the economy” over the last two years.
He added: “My successor will have a platform to build on, which means that Labour can go on and should go on to win the next election.
“And that’s what I’m trying to make sure I’m able to do over the next few days to serve my country and to make sure that I bow out.
“It’s the end of my journey in politics. I’m very clear about that.
“I’ve said to all my colleagues it’s not the end of their journey. And it’s very important that we all do what we can to make sure what comes next is a success. And that’s what I will do.”
Sir Keir also insisted he held no “personal animosity” for Mr Burnham, and that he would support the next administration by giving advice only “if asked for”.
