'boys club' briefing culture will change under Andy Burnham - Lucy Powell

“Boys club” briefing culture is expected to change under Andy Burnham, Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell said, describing a “nasty” pattern of anonymous briefings that she said disproportionately targeted women. Speaking to The Guardian, Powell argued that Sir Keir Starmer’s Downing Street showed both anonymous negative briefing against colleagues and a factional culture where appointments were driven by friendship groups rather than merit. She added that such briefings created a climate where ministers did not feel able to speak out for fear of reputational consequences. Powell cited female Cabinet ministers, including Bridget Phillipson and Yvette Cooper, as examples. Burnham, a Makerfield MP, reportedly told women in the Parliamentary Labour Party this week he would sack anyone in his team found to issue negative briefings. The shift debate, Powell said, is not about quotas but listening to “quiet voices.” Burnham’s political messaging included pledges on water and energy public control and council house building, plus social media Q&As before a planned Downing Street entry.