Boris Johnson’s upcoming reshuffle will likely result in a cabinet “filled with men”, a former Tory minister has warned.
Caroline Nokes said on Wednesday she expected many current female ministers to be “replaced” when the PM reshapes his top team.
The chair of the Commons women and equalities committee was sacked as an immigration minister last summer.
Speaking at an event in parliament organised by the Fawcett Society, Nokes said there was “no pipeline” of junior female ministers ready to step up to the top table.
It comes amid a flurry of reports that Johnson will embark on a cabinet reshuffle as early as next week and that women are in the firing line.
Nokes said: “I know never to trust Downing Street briefings and to believe what I read in the press, but if you do then it’s really obvious that there is a whole raft of women secretaries of state that are about to be replaced by who knows who.
“But the reality is when you only have three ministers of state, which is the next [level] down, there is no pipeline, and the likelihood is that we will see women replaced by men. Quelle surprise.
“And although they will be paid the same [as any women in the cabinet], we will have another cabinet table that is filled with men.”
It comes as Johnson is widely expected to reshape his cabinet after the December election gave the Conservatives a stunning 80-seat majority.
A report in The Sun last week suggested that as many as four cabinet ministers were to face the axe, with business secretary Andrea Leadsom, environment secretary Theresa Villiers, work and pensions secretary Therese Coffey and trade secretary Liz Truss among those mentioned.
Other reports suggested the PM plans to elevate MPs from the so-called red wall seats the Tories took from Labour.
As it stands, just 24% of Tory MPs are female (87 out of 365).
Nokes also alleged that the role of women and equalities minister, a cabinet post which is designed to hold the government’s feet to the fire on equalities issues, was like a “ball that’s been picked up and just chucked to whoever’s available next”.
Since 2014, it has been held by six MPs, including Amber Rudd, Nicky Morgan, Justine Greening and, the current post-holder, Liz Truss.
“It just makes me really cross, it’s like this is a ball that’s been picked up and just chucked to whoever’s available next, with no real thought,” said Nokes.