Incoming British leader pressed to dismantle Labour's male-dominated culture

As Andy Burnham prepares to take the reins as the UK's next prime minister, he is facing mounting pressure to address Labour's perceived "boys' club" culture by ensuring that women occupy half of the top positions in his inaugural cabinet.

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The Labour Party, despite having more mechanisms in place to promote equality than the Conservative Party, has yet to elect a female leader, a milestone that the Tories have achieved four times with Margaret Thatcher, Theresa May, Liz Truss, and currently Kemi Badenoch.

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Female Labour members have expressed feelings of being hindered by a "boys' club" mentality, with Harriet Harman urging outgoing premier Keir Starmer to appoint a female deputy to "transform the political culture in government" and promote greater diversity.

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Labour lawmaker Polly Billington has also echoed this sentiment, stating "we need less lads, lads, lads, and more diversity" in a recent interview with LBC radio, while also alluding to behind-the-scenes frustration with speculation surrounding David Miliband's potential return to frontline politics.

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Billington's comments were laced with a hint of sarcasm when she mentioned not needing to "organise or advocate for a reunion of the Demon Eyes football club", a reference to a 1998 football team that included Burnham, Miliband, James Purnell, and Ed Balls, all of whom are former Labour ministers.

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Deputy party leader Lucy Powell has spoken out about her own experiences with "unpleasant" briefings in Downing Street against senior female cabinet ministers, which she believes are indicative of a pervasive "boys' club" culture within the upper echelons of government.

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Over the past 30 years, women have made significant strides in representation, with the number of female MPs increasing from less than 10% of the total in 1997 to the current 266 women MPs in the 650-seat parliament, including 186 Labour MPs who make up 46% of the party's lawmakers.

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Labour's cabinet also boasts a similar percentage of women, with ministers such as Rachel Reeves, Yvette Cooper, and Shabana Mahmood holding key positions, according to a parliamentary report.

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Despite these gains, there is a lingering sense that women are being excluded from true power, prompting the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party group to write to Burnham with a list of demands, including a 50:50 gender balance in both the cabinet and the prime minister's office.

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The group's letter, seen by the BBC, called on Burnham to "demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government", emphasizing the need for meaningful action.

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Former minister Jess Phillips has also stressed that simply appointing women to positions is not enough, saying "they have to be imbued with power" and able to speak out against the dominant culture, which is often male-dominated.

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Expert Joni Lovenduski, of Birkbeck College, University of London, finds it puzzling that Labour has not yet elected a female leader, despite endorsing all-women shortlists since 1993, and believes this is due to the party prioritizing class over gender.

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Lovenduski also notes that the problems extend to No. 10, which has historically been "laddish and misogynistic", regardless of the party in power.

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Sarah Childs, an expert on women's political representation at the University of Edinburgh, is hopeful that Burnham's government could mark a "watershed" moment, citing the incoming prime minister's own criticisms of Westminster's workings as a potential catalyst for change.