When Nick Clegg was asked last week to name his Fantasy Cabinet – in the event of a seismic explosion propelling him to Downing Street – he reeled off the names of some old favourites such as Paddy Ashdown, Chris Patten and even Labour's Andrew Adonis. They would be invited to join his present team of Vince Cable, David Laws and Chris Huhne. Notice anything? Yes, every one of them is white and male.
For a party that loves to trumpet its commitment to fairness, there's a remarkable lack of concern among the Liberal Democrats about the almost total absence of women in the top ranks. Of course there are plenty in the backroom, offering administrative support: Lena Pietsch, the leader's press secretary, Polly Mackenzie, his speechwriter, Alison Suttie, his deputy chief of staff, and Zena Elmahronki, his deputy speechwriter. But these women are not the public face of the Lib Dems, nor will they be the key voices advising Clegg on what to do in the event of a hung parliament.
To read the complete news story please visit The Guardian.
When Nick Clegg was asked last week to name his Fantasy Cabinet – in the event of a seismic explosion propelling him to Downing Street – he reeled off the names of some old favourites such as Paddy Ashdown, Chris Patten and even Labour's Andrew Adonis. They would be invited to join his present team of Vince Cable, David Laws and Chris Huhne. Notice anything? Yes, every one of them is white and male.
For a party that loves to trumpet its commitment to fairness, there's a remarkable lack of concern among the Liberal Democrats about the almost total absence of women in the top ranks. Of course there are plenty in the backroom, offering administrative support: Lena Pietsch, the leader's press secretary, Polly Mackenzie, his speechwriter, Alison Suttie, his deputy chief of staff, and Zena Elmahronki, his deputy speechwriter. But these women are not the public face of the Lib Dems, nor will they be the key voices advising Clegg on what to do in the event of a hung parliament.
To read the complete news story please visit The Guardian.