An MP is reported to have claimed white men “never get a sniff at anything” after Liz Truss unveiled the most diverse Cabinet in UK history.
The new prime minister announced her picks for the top jobs in government, and for the first time in British history, no white man will hold any of the four great offices of state.
Truss – herself the third female prime minister – named Kwasi Kwarteng as her chancellor of the exchequer, Suella Braverman as her home secretary and James Cleverly as her foreign secretary.
Kwarteng’s parents came from Ghana in the 1960s, and his appointment makes him the first Black finance minister.
Braverman, whose parents came to Britain from Kenya and Mauritius six decades ago, succeeds Priti Patel as home secretary.
Cleverly, whose mother is from Sierra Leone and whose father is white, has in the past spoken about being bullied as a mixed-race child and has said the party needs to do more to attract Black voters.
But while their appointments have been overwhelmingly positive, at least one Conservative MP is reported to be unhappy.
The unidentified MP told the Telegraph’s chief political correspondent Camilla Turner: “There are a lot of talented men in the 2019 intake – white straight males that never get a sniff at anything.
“You’ve got these great MPs and they’ve just been totally overlooked. It’s time to reward people based on talent rather than what they look like.”
In February 2020, a report revealed a majority of MPs form non-white backgrounds have experienced racism at Westminster.
According to a survey by ITV News, with 62% of 37 respondents indicated they had faced racism or racial profiling whilst on the Parliamentary estate.
British governments have, until a few decades ago, been predominantly made up of white men.
But while their appointments have been overwhelmingly positive, at least one Conservative MP is reported to be unhappy.
The unidentified MP told the Telegraph’s chief political correspondent Camilla Turner: “There are a lot of talented men in the 2019 intake – white straight males that never get a sniff at anything.
“You’ve got these great MPs and they’ve just been totally overlooked. It’s time to reward people based on talent rather than what they look like.”
In February 2020, a report revealed a majority of MPs form non-white backgrounds have experienced racism at Westminster.
According to a survey by ITV News, with 62% of 37 respondents indicated they had faced racism or racial profiling whilst on the Parliamentary estate.
British governments have, until a few decades ago, been predominantly made up of white men.
