Andy Burnham has pledged to end the culture of negative briefing against female ministers, telling Labour MPs that any staff who undermine women in his team will be sacked. Speaking at a meeting of the women's parliamentary Labour party in Westminster, Burnham also strongly rejected descriptions of him as 'the first female Labour PM' in the Spectator magazine.
Starmer's Record on Female Ministers
Senior women under Keir Starmer have complained of a 'boys' club' culture, despite Starmer appointing multiple women to his team and making Rachel Reeves the first female chancellor. However, MPs felt that female ministers were disproportionately targeted by leaked negative stories, including former transport secretary Louise Haigh, foreign secretary Yvette Cooper, and education secretary Bridget Phillipson.
Burnham's Commitment to Change
Burnham told MPs: 'Culture really does matter and we need to change that culture. I want to make it clear that if anyone in my team was found to have done that [negative briefing] they would be out of the door. Their feet wouldn't touch the floor.' He added: 'I want to put on record that I never have and never will describe myself as the first female Labour PM.'
Labour has never elected a female leader, and MPs were irritated by a senior Labour figure quoted in the Spectator who suggested Burnham could be the 'first woman prime minister' because he focused on an 'unashamedly female agenda' including health, education, and family finances, rather than 'budgets and bombs'.
Asylum Policy and Cabinet Appointments
When asked about asylum policy at the meeting, Burnham praised home secretary Shabana Mahmood and plans for jury trial changes, which some abuse survivors have opposed. The Ministry of Justice says the changes will speed up cases for victims.
Burnham is likely to face pressure to appoint a high number of female cabinet ministers, especially if he removes Reeves as chancellor and replaces her with a man. His chief of staff will be his close friend and former cabinet minister James Purnell. Under Starmer, the role is shared by two women: Vidhya Alakeson and Jill Cuthbertson.
Some of Burnham's closest allies and organisers during his election campaign and in Westminster are women, including Haigh and Knowsley MP Anneliese Midgley, who are both expected to get senior roles.
Response to Conservative Criticism
Female MPs who have supported Burnham were angered by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch describing them as 'handmaidens' on Monday. Midgley responded on X: 'Stay classy Kemi.'
Before the meeting, Labour's female MPs wrote to Burnham asking him to commit to a 50/50 gender split for ministers and staff. The letter, first reported by LBC, said he should give the role of deputy prime minister to a woman. It stated: 'Rooms where decisions are being made are often closed to us, leading to blind spots in appointment decisions and policy development. The tendency of previous leaderships to sideline the voices of women makes us a weaker government.' The letter also raised concerns about 'structural misogyny, the culture in No 10, bullying behaviour being rewarded, sexual harassment being ignored and engagement with both the party and the PLP being inadequate'.
