Andy Burnham has sparked renewed hopes for a more inclusive Labour Party by pledging to eradicate the practice of negative briefing against female ministers. In a significant move, he assured his MPs that any staff found undermining women in his team would face immediate dismissal. This commitment was made during a meeting with the women's parliamentary Labour party in Westminster, where Burnham also strongly condemned a description of him in the Spectator magazine as "the first female Labour PM", labelling it a misrepresentation.
The issue of a perceived "boys' club" culture within Labour has been a growing concern, despite efforts by leader Sir Keir Starmer to appoint numerous women to his team, including Rachel Reeves as Chancellor of the Exchequer. However, some MPs have expressed that female ministers like former Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson have faced an unusually high number of negative stories leaked to the press.
Addressing the MPs, Burnham underlined the importance of cultural change, stating "Culture really does matter and we need to change that culture." He explicitly distanced himself from the "first female Labour PM" comment, asserting "I never have and never will describe myself as the first female Labour PM". This description had irritated many Labour MPs, suggesting Burnham focused on an "unashamedly female agenda" of health, education, and family finances over "budgets and bombs".
Female Labour MPs had previously written to Burnham, urging him to commit to a 50/50 gender split for ministers and staff, as well as appointing a woman as Deputy Prime Minister. They highlighted that decision-making rooms are often dominated by men, leading to blind spots in appointment decisions and policy development. The letter also raised concerns about "structural misogyny" within the Labour Party, including bullying behaviour being rewarded and sexual harassment being ignored.
With significant pressure mounting on Burnham to ensure substantial female representation in a future cabinet, particularly if he were to replace Rachel Reeves as Chancellor with a man, his commitment to addressing the issue has been welcomed by many within the party. While his chief of staff is expected to be James Purnell, a close male ally, many of Burnham's key organisers and closest allies during his campaigns are women, including Louise Haigh and Knowsley MP Anneliese Midgley, both of whom are anticipated to secure senior roles.