Labour woman leader ‘long overdue’, Lisa Nandy says, but rules out running
A woman leader of the Labour Party is “long overdue”, Lisa Nandy said, expressing frustration that those jostling to oust Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer are all men.
But the Culture Secretary also warned Labour against turning inwards, and said the public had been “completely” cut out of the conversation over the last week amid rumours of a leadership challenge.
She also ruled out standing should there be a Labour leadership contest.
Ms Nandy, the MP for Wigan, said during an interview with Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme that she was “not here to be a spokesperson for whichever man offers an opinion on politics in the Labour Party”.
She was asked why she repeatedly decided to refer to the two “men” who currently appear to be seeking to replace Sir Keir: Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting.
Ms Nandy replied: “It’s just not lost on me that I’m being interviewed by a man, being asked to give my views about several men in the Labour Party, who I’m clearly not a spokesperson for.
“I’m sorry if I’m coming across as a bit irritated.
“I think what is really winding me up, if I’m honest, is that people told us loud and clear last Thursday that things weren’t good enough, that they needed far more fundamental, far more urgent change in their lives.
“Somehow we seem to have just cut them out completely of the conversation over the last week, and Westminster has gone into introspection mode, where the debate is being led about personalities and about individuals.”
Asked whether Labour’s lack of any women leaders in its history raised questions about the party, Ms Nandy referred back to her own tilt at the leadership in the 2020 contest to succeed Jeremy Corbyn.
She told Sky News: “I did try to fix that in 2019 if you cast your mind back that far, but I agree with you, I think a woman leader is long overdue.”
Ms Nandy however insisted that voters wanted the Government to “get on with the job”, adding: “The Prime Minister is getting on with the job.
“If people want to trigger a leadership contest, they can, but I just think that the idea that the rest of the country is obsessing about who is the leader of the Labour Party is just for the birds, to be honest.”
Later, speaking to the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, Ms Nandy was asked if she would rule out standing in a future leadership contest.
She replied: “Yeah, I would. I said at the time that never again. I mean, I can’t say it’s an enormously enjoyable experience.”
Published: by Radio NewsHub