Andy Burnham is set to overhaul the culture of factional briefings at Downing Street, as stated by Lucy Powell.
Powell, the Deputy Labour leader, revealed her encounters with negative briefings in Number 10, fostering an environment of fear and inhibition among individuals.
In an interview with the Guardian, Powell highlighted how the targeting of female Cabinet members in these briefings exemplified a “boys club” mentality prevailing at the highest levels of government.
She emphasized the detrimental impact of these actions, stating, “It 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. That is the culture and the atmosphere that we really need to address.”
Powell further noted a trend of malicious anonymous briefings targeting female colleagues, underscoring a divisive and non-meritocratic environment where appointments were influenced by factionalism and personal connections.
In response to these issues, Andy Burnham pledged to dismiss any team member found engaging in negative briefings or undermining women within his team. He unequivocally stated, “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.”
When asked about potential changes under Burnham’s leadership, Powell expressed optimism, emphasizing the collective effort required to shape a more inclusive and diverse culture at Downing Street.
Pressure mounts on Burnham to ensure gender equality in his cabinet, with Labour’s female MPs urging him to commit to a 50/50 gender balance among ministers and staff.
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