Should half of a potential Andy Burnham cabinet be female? | BBC Politics Live

Andy Burnham is being urged by female Labour MPs to commit to a 50:50 gender split in his cabinet if he becomes prime minister. A draft letter from the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party, seen by the BBC, argues that Labour must lead by example if it wants to be seen as the party of equality. On Politics Live, Labour MP Emily Darlington, who is the vice-chair of the group, backed the call, saying: “There shouldn’t be any meeting where there aren’t women’s voices and a diverse set of voices in the room because that actually leads to poor decision-making.” Conservative MP Andrew Snowden criticised Labour for not having had a female leader, adding his party "believes in aspiration and in promoting talent based on just that... and that’s what we do regardless of gender or colour.” Political commentator and Reform UK supporter Tim Montgomerie also joined the discussion. For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news #UKPolitics #PoliticsLive #BBCNews