Liz Truss has dropped the role of women’s minister from Cabinet — despite having the role herself before she became the UK’s third female prime minister.
The women’s job title from the women and equalities brief appears to have been ditched after Nadhim Zahawi, the former chancellor, was appointed simply minister for equalities alongside his other role as Duchy of Lancaster.
It was thought yesterday that a junior minister could separately be given the women’s role, but as of this morning no appointment had been made.
The first person to hold the role was Labour’s Harriet Harman in 1997. Truss was the most recent person to hold the role alongside her position as foreign secretary.
Zahawi will still have oversight of women’s issues as part of his brief.
But the move quickly sparked a backlash among critics, who accused Truss of “downgrading” women’s rights.
On seeing that the title had been erased, Tory MP Caroline Nokes, who chairs the women and equalities select committee, tweeted: “Wonder if the erasing of women from the job title is intentional or just an oversight...”
Anneliese Dodds, Labour’s shadow secretary of state for women and equalities, said: “Women are always an afterthought for the Tories. Erasing the role for women in Cabinet confirms it.”
Asked on Wednesday if the title had been abolished, the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “The title has changed slightly.”
He continued: “I believe that the people of the UK will be focused on the actions the government takes to protect women, including introducing a national domestic abuse register.
“I believe it is the actions the government take on which we will be judged, rather than job titles of individuals.”
It comes after Truss celebrated her election as the UK’s third female prime minister at her first outing in the Commons yesterday.
Former prime minister Theresa May asked her: “Why does she think it is that all three female prime ministers have been Conservatives?”
Truss replied: “I thank my right honourable friend for her fantastic question, and I look forward to calling on her advice from her time in office as I start my work as prime minister.
“It is quite extraordinary, is it not, that there does not seem to be the ability in the Labour Party to find a female leader, or indeed a leader who does not come from north London.”
Liberal Democrat equalities spokesperson Christine Jardine MP told HuffPost UK she was “astonished that a woman prime minister doesn’t recognise the need for the minister in Cabinet to fight for women’s rights at a time when they are under attack”.
“Women in Britain need a secretary of state who will fight for their fair wages, freedoms and bodily autonomy,” she said.
“Downgrading women’s issues out of the Cabinet is simply unacceptable in a country where violence against women and girls continues to rise.”