𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

The in-party fighting looks far from over yet, however, with a growing number of female Labour members making allegations of a “boy’s club” culture in Downing Street – and suggesting it could be linked to the crises embroiling the Westminster machine. Ms Cooper, who previously served as Home Secretary for 14 months, told the BBC that she was “quite angry” about the decisions surrounding Lord Mandelon’s appontment as US ambassador and refused to say whether Sir Keir would give women a bigger role in the future of his government. “You and I have seen different examples through the years of Westminster boys’ culture at different times,” she said.

“And we can’t go back on that. I feel really quite angry about some of the issues that we’ve had around. Look, Peter Mandelson should never have been appointed.”

The Foreign Secretary added: “We’ve had debates in Westminster but actually the real focus should be on [Jeffrey] Epstein’s victims, and also the work that this Labour government has been doing to tackle violence against women and girls.”

It comes after a group of senior Labour women including Baroness Harriet Harmon suggested a “boys’ club” culture had contributed to the Prime Minister’s recent challenges.

Baroness Harman called for Sir Keir to revive the post of first secretary of state – a kind of de facto deputy prime minister – and appoint a woman to the role, tasked with tackling misogyny and the marginalisation of female party members during a committee meeting this week.

The Prime Minister said he would consider the suggestion, which Baroness Harman said could “change the culture” of government.

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The inner-party disarray has also seen Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy criticise Sir Keir’s leadership in an interview with The Guardian this week.

Ms Nandy said: “It does look to people outside that we’re more interested in ourselves and less interesed in preventing chaos.”

The Prime Minister struck a positive note in his speech at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, however, insisting he had “ended the week much stronger” than he started it.