Liverpool’s all-male cabinet told to give up their seats for women Women in Merseyside have written to the region’s all-male cabinet asking them to give up their seats and nominate female […]

Women in Merseyside have written to the region’s all-male cabinet asking them to give up their seats and nominate female replacements.

The open letter from the Women’s Leadership Group, which seeks to tackle the lack of diversity in decision-making, says the group are “appalled” the cabinet is “made up entirely of men.”

The body which votes on key decisions of the Liverpool City Region’s combined authority along with the elected mayor, Steve Rotheram.

The i newsletter cut through the noise Email address is invalid Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing! Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription.

The letter says: “As feminists and believers of equality in 2017, we didn’t expect to be asking a man to ‘give up his seat for a woman’ – but that’s what we are asking of you now.”

But Mr Rotheram says the combined authority’s constitution is set out in a parliamenary order, which he says is “clearly an obstacle” to achieving gender equality.

Women are 51 per cent of the population so have to be at the table when important decisions are made that shape our region. Six white middle-aged men cannot represent our region in all of its rich diversity. Tabitha Morton

Tabitha Morton, a member of the WLG who stood for the Women’s Equality Party against Mr Rotheram in the mayoral elections in May, said: “Women are 51 per cent of the population so have to be at the table when important decisions are made that shape our region.

”Six white middle-aged men cannot represent our region in all of its rich diversity.

“Policy making must take into account the different impact decisions have on men and women and on different communities within our city region.

”It has to be at the heart of everything we do.“

The group points out that Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has changed his combined authority’s constitution so that both men and women would be represented at meetings.

Only one of the 10 Greater Manchester council leaders that make up the body are women, but nine men agreed to appoint female assistant leads.

‘An obstacle to achieving gender equality’

Mr Rotheram said: ”The current constitution of the combined authority is set out in a parliamentary order, and this is clearly an obstacle to achieving gender equality.

“Within these constraints I have tried to enhance the balance and diversity of the combined authority through co-opting Jane Kennedy as Police and Crime Commissioner and appointing seven mayoral advisors, six of whom are women.”

He said the group’s proposal for the appointment of women as alternatives to male leaders was a matter for the six councils who constitute the regional, and added: “We have to respect their democratic processes.”

He said: “As a body I believe we need to collectively agree on how we might revise our constitution to achieve gender balance, but in the context of the wider review of local government practice to ensure we have more talented women exercising positions of influence and leadership. “