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Indy100 Staff
Sep 07, 2022
MPs cheer Liz Truss as she enters first PMQs as prime minister
ParliamentLive.TV
If you needed any more evidence that Liz Truss’ remarks about women during the leadership campaign trail were nothing more than an attempt at stoking a culture war for votes, look no further than one of her cabinet appointments.
Our new prime minister announced on Tuesday that Nadhim Zahawi, previously the chancellor of the Exchequer, would become Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and the minister for intergovernmental relations.
And if that wasn’t enough, he was also announced as the minister for equalities - just without the ‘women’ part held by previous occupants such as his new boss, probably because a man holding a job about women is terrible optics.
In a clear indication that he will be taking all three - yes, three - of his roles seriously, Mr Zahawi tweeted: “Delighted to be appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster @cabinetofficeuk.
“As PM @trussliz has said, we will deal hands-on with the energy crisis and take action this week; get [Britain] working, building and growing; and prioritise getting people the NHS services they need.”
We’re still waiting for a statement on his new equalities job, which covers rights for transgender people.
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In fact, Tory MP Caroline Nokes, chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee, was one high profile individual to notice the glaring omission from Mr Zahawi’s new job title.
She tweeted: “Wonder if the erasing of Women from the job title is intentional or just an oversight…”
\u201cWonder if the erasing of Women from the job title is intentional or just an oversight ......\u201d— Caroline Nokes MP (@Caroline Nokes MP) 1662492017
Others have also noticed the glaring omission:
\u201cSo they have indeed dropped the \u201cWomen\u201d from the title \u201cMinister for Women and Equalities\u201d \ud83e\udd2f\u201d— Gemma Abbott (@Gemma Abbott) 1662493513
\u201cIn the midst of a global war on women, a roll back of our reproductive rights, and the decriminalisation of rape, we\u2019ve no longer got a women\u2019s and equalities minister in government. That says everything about Truss\u2019s commitment to us all going forward. I hope I am wrong.\u201d— Jenn Selby (@Jenn Selby) 1662499166
\u201cHas the government dropped women from the equalities brief in order to make room for the other two portfolios? Can\u2019t fathom this government has any other motivation. #reshuffle\u201d— Women's Equality Party (@Women's Equality Party) 1662494875
\u201cThink you forgot an important word here.....\n'Women' and Equalities isn't it?\u201d— Samara Barnes - #LWNelections22 #VoteSamaraLWN (@Samara Barnes - #LWNelections22 #VoteSamaraLWN) 1662494981
\u201cDid @10DowningStreet just "erase women"?\u201d— Adi (she/her/hers) \ud83c\udf31\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Adi (she/her/hers) \ud83c\udf31\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1662537427
\u201cErm, what happened to \u201cwomen and\u2026\u201d?!? \ud83d\ude2c #reshuffle\u201d— Ben Howlett \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ben Howlett \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1662492922
\u201cWasn\u2019t this brief until *very* recently \u201cwomen and equalities\u201d? Given Truss\u2019s comments on \u2018erasing\u2019 women during this campaign, that seems\u2026quite the shift?\u201d— James Ball (@James Ball) 1662492287
\u201cOh my god.\n\nMinister for equalities isn\u2019t the same as minister for women AND equalities. Guess that is coming later.\n\nBut my god\u2026what a terrible, terrible choice for so many reasons.\u201d— What The Trans!? (WhatTheTrans.com) (@What The Trans!? (WhatTheTrans.com)) 1662491999
\u201c\ud83d\ude31and if you ever wanted to know how much @trussliz would do for women\u2026 they\u2019ve erased \u201cwomen\u201d from the \u201cminister for women and equalities!!\u201d. \n\nThis coming from premiership of the former minister for women & equalities no less\u2026\u201d— Clare Wenham (@Clare Wenham) 1662496894
According to Sky News political correspondent Tamara Cohen, Ms Truss’s team has confirmed Mr Zahawi’s role “covers women” – though clearly not to the extent that it warrants mentioning in the title.
\u201cThe Rt Hon Nadhim Zahawi MP @NadhimZahawi has been appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Minister for Intergovernmental Relations @CabinetOfficeUK and Minister for Equalities @GEOgovuk.\n\n#Reshuffle\u201d— UK Prime Minister (@UK Prime Minister) 1662491454
Junior ministerial appointments, including the parliamentary under-secretary of state role that is minister for equalities (yes, that’s a different job), are yet to be announced by the government.
Indy100 approached the Government Equalities Office for a comment as to whether a separate senior minister would be announced covering women’s rights, but a spokesperson declined to comment on the record.
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