Starmer Pressed to Revive First Secretary Role for Female Appointment
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has faced calls from within his own party to resurrect the historic position of first secretary of state and appoint a woman to the role. The suggestion came during a meeting with female Labour MPs on Wednesday, as the government grapples with allegations of misogyny and controversial appointments.
Harman's Proposal to Address Structural Misogyny
Labour grandee Baroness Harriet Harman proposed that Starmer bring back the post, which functions as a de facto deputy prime minister, and task the female appointee specifically with tackling misogyny and the marginalisation of women. "This would help change the culture of government," Harman argued during the women's Parliamentary Labour Party meeting.
The Prime Minister acknowledged the suggestion and said he would consider it, while apologising to female parliamentarians for his appointment of Lord Mandelson. Starmer emphasised that apologies "must come with action" and expressed his commitment to working with them to address violence against women and girls.
Badenoch's Fiery PMQs Accusations
The meeting occurred against a backdrop of intense political scrutiny during Prime Minister's Questions, where Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch launched scathing attacks on Starmer's judgment. "The Prime Minister is stuffing Government with hypocrites and paedophile apologists," Badenoch declared, referencing both the Mandelson appointment and the peerage given to Matthew Doyle.
Badenoch accused Starmer of pretending to care about violence against women only to "save his own skin" amid growing discontent over the Mandelson scandal fallout. She highlighted that Doyle had campaigned for Sean Morton in 2017 after Morton had been charged with possessing indecent images of children as young as ten.
Starmer's Response and Doyle's Whip Removal
In his defence, Starmer pointed to his decisive action regarding Doyle, stating: "Matthew Doyle did not give a full account of his actions. I promised my party and my country there will be change, and yesterday I removed the whip from Matthew Doyle." However, calls continue for Doyle to lose his peerage entirely, with Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley among those demanding further action.
The Prime Minister rejected Tory criticism on standards in public life, referencing partygate and former shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick's controversial comments about ethnicity in Birmingham. "I will take no lectures from the Tories on this matter," Starmer asserted during the heated exchange.
Cross-Party Criticism and Internal Support
Opposition leaders joined the criticism, with Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey stating: "To appoint one paedophile supporter cannot be excused as 'misfortune'. To appoint two shows a catastrophic lack of judgment." SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn added that Starmer "appears to be the most gullible former director of public prosecutions in history."
Despite the external pressure, Starmer received public support from key Labour figures. Health Secretary Wes Streeting published his exchanges with Mandelson, while Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar—who had previously called for Starmer's resignation—received the Prime Minister's "100%" support. Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan offered her "full confidence," and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham declared support while suggesting the party needed "a stronger sense of team again."
Downing Street Rejects 'Boys' Club' Allegations
Number 10 firmly rejected suggestions that the government operates as a "boys' club," with the Prime Minister's spokesman stating Starmer does not accept he has failed to fulfil his promise to end sleaze. Starmer has insisted his top team remains "strong and united" following the public show of support from Cabinet ministers.
The Prime Minister is expected to continue restructuring his Downing Street operation, with rumours circulating that the country's top civil servant Sir Chris Wormald may depart in coming days. This follows the recent exits of chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and communications chief Tim Allan as Starmer seeks to revive his political fortunes after a challenging start to 2026.
Baroness Harman's proposal for making tackling misogyny a sixth official mission of the Starmer administration adds further weight to the growing calls for systemic change in how the government addresses gender inequality and violence against women.
