Lancashire County Council’s all-male cabinet ‘a retrograde step’

The appointment of an all-male cabinet to Lancashire County Council by Reform UK has been described as “retrograde step” by opposition councillors.

The new group was unveiled at the council’s annual general meeting with all seven positions filled by men.

Gina Dowding of the Green Party said this was “disappointing” and the “first time since we moved to the cabinet system that there’s been no women at that top table”.

But the move has been defended by Reform UK’s newly ratified leader of the council, Stephen Atkinson, who said the cabinet line-up was chosen based on the “best people” available.

Atkinson said: “Three of the councillors have experience so we had to have them.

“We had a blind process in terms of selection of the cabinet, where an academic looked at all the skills, qualifications, experiences and then looked at who were the best people.

“I don’t think it should matter what your sex is, it should matter what your ability is.”

But Dowding said: “There’s no single definition of merit, we know that women bring really important skills and experience and a different view.”

Reform UK took control of the council from Labour following local elections earlier this month.

It is the first time the party has been in charge at County Hall and the first time many of its councillors have been elected to office.

Atkinson has not ruled out women joining the cabinet in the future.

He said: “I’m sure that some of the ladies of the group will be useful in the future at the cabinet level, but when the skills are the right skills.”