Burnham will change No 10 ‘boys club’ briefing culture, says Lucy Powell | Lucy Powell

Andy Burnham will change the “boys’ club” culture of factional briefings in No 10 that silence critics, according to Labor’s deputy leader.

Lucy Powell said she experienced “unpleasant” briefings in Downing Street, which left people afraid to speak out or challenge Downing Street’s position.

He added that briefings impact people’s ability to do their jobs. “It’s more of a culture of not feeling like you can talk about things openly.” […] for fear of leaving a black mark on your name. “That’s the culture and the atmosphere that we really need to address.”

Powell felt that the briefings, particularly to female Cabinet figures including herself, education secretary Bridget Phillipson and foreign secretary Yvette Cooper, were evidence of a “boys’ club” at the top of the government.

“There was a very clear pattern over time of anonymous disgusting briefings against colleagues, disproportionately directed at women,” he said. “But there was also a culture that became very factional and appointments were made based on what group you belonged to or what friendship group you belonged to. […] “It was not a meritocracy or a broad church in any sense.”

She felt the culture in No 10 had improved under the management of senior Labor women in recent months and vowed to continue pressing for the “merit system”. [where] Appointments are made more openly based on people’s passion, experience and contribution.”

Burnham this week said she would sack any staff who briefed against or undermined women in her team. The Makerfield MP told Labor members of the women’s parliament: “I would like to make it clear that if anyone on my team is found to have done this [negative briefing] They would walk out the door. “His feet weren’t touching the ground.”

Asked if he thought the No 10 culture would be different under Burnham, he said: “I think about it; what would it be like for something that we all need to help and be a part of?” Powell’s intervention came after figures on the Labor left accused Starmer and his allies of overseeing a “purification” of dissenting views that had created a “culture of fear” and called on Burnham to listen to previously marginalized figures.

The former mayor of Manchester, who is expected to become prime minister later this month, faces pressure to appoint several female cabinet ministers, especially if he replaces Rachel Reeves with a man in the Treasury. Her chief of staff will be her close friend and former cabinet minister James Purnell, a role currently shared by two women: Vidhya Alakeson and Jill Cuthbertson. Labour’s female MPs wrote to Burnham before the meeting, asking her to commit to a 50/50 gender split for ministers and staff.

Powell said he would not tell Burnham who should be in her cabinet, but that “better decisions” would be made when there is more diversity at the top table.

“We are all very keen to make sure that there is diversity of thought and representation from all the different traditions of the party and the country, but also to make sure that we have a strong voice of women at the top of the party,” she said. “I’m sure Andy will keep all of this in mind.”

On Wednesday Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Labor women of “moaning” and said they should run for the party leadership. She wrote in the Times: “If none of the women in the Labor Party are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge it for the leadership, their demands are toothless.”

But Powell said the debate on pluralism “is not about quotas” but “to get us to think about all of these things.”

“I think women can often be a bit shy about putting themselves forward in the Labor Party,” she said. “Sometimes guys get a little better at advancing their own cause, so it’s important for us to make sure we listen to the quiet voices, too.”

Asked whether British voters saw this debate as an example of Labor focusing on itself rather than the country, he said a culture of diverse views produces better policies and national outcomes.

“This is definitely not about being all things to all people,” he said. “It’s about clear leadership, clear direction, clear purpose and narrative in a context where differences are respected and views are valued and heard. This is what good leadership looks like.”