COMMENTATORS have been praising Liz Truss's "diverse" Cabinet appointments - but is it all that it seems?
The new Prime Minister has created a paradox. On the one hand, there are no white men holding any of the UK's four most important ministerial positions.
On the other, it is part of a right-wing government that is actively implementing policies which harm and affect minority groups.
Kwasi Kwarteng has been made the first black Chancellor and James Cleverly became the first black man in the role of Foreign Secretary. With Suella Braverman taking over the Home Office from Priti Patel and Truss taking over as PM, it appears as if this is the most diverse cabinet in history.
READ MORE: OPINION - I won't shed a tear as landlords face rent freeze
Overall, 30% of available posts have been filled by people of colour, compared to a national estimate of 13.7%.
But it is still chock full of men. Of the 23 Cabinet positions available, Truss appointed 15 male MPs - that's just over 65%. Meanwhile, eight women have been given senior government positions. That's around 35%, well short of the 51% of the population that women account for.
Of those eight junior ministers who will also attend Cabinet, six are men and two are women. That's two-thirds of the 31 available seats around the table held by men.
Gender isn't the only factor here. There are also a staggering number of Cabinet ministers who have been privately educated, compared to their public school colleagues.
Kwarteng, Braverman, Cleverly and 15 other ministers have been privately educated, while Truss and four others went to a comprehensive.
The Sutton Trust released analysis on Wednesday which found 68% of the new cabinet attended a private school, compared to 7% of the overall UK population.
That's 4% more than Boris Johnson's Cabinet - and it's indicative of the enormous gulf between those running the country and those who live in it.
Truss herself is reportedly gunning for Scotland's transgender reforms and has sought legal advice, having previously blocked self-ID in England in her role as minister for women and equalities.
READ MORE: New Zealand Greens praise Nicola Sturgeon's rent freeze policy in cheeky video clip
Now, Nadhim Zahawi has taken over the brief, and the word "women" has been quietly dropped from the title.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, a climate sceptic and multi-millionaire, was put in charge of the Business and Energy brief prompting concern amongst environmental campaigners.
Therese Coffey, who has previously voted against extending access to abortion care, has been made Health Secretary during a time when protesters funded by the American far-right and religious groups are targeting Scottish and Northern Irish clinics.
Alister Jack, who has clung on as Scottish Secretary, was found to have claimed a whopping £4059 in utilities for his second home earlier this year - when the public is facing an 80% hike in energy bills - despite being a multi-millionaire land owner.
Braverman has previously said the UK must withdraw from the European Convention of Human Rights and is reportedly set to take a harder line on immigration than her predecessor.
It could be argued that this Cabinet isn't diverse at all, as the majority of Tory ministers are rich, privately educated and have little to no links to the reality that the rest of the country is living in.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel