Britain's New Cabinet, Led by Liz Truss, Lacks a White Male in Senior Positions for the First Time

Britain's Diverse New Cabinet: A First for Many

In a significant move, Liz Truss, the new Prime Minister of Britain, has appointed Kwasi Kwarteng as the country's first Black finance minister and James Cleverly as the first Black foreign minister. This marks a new era of diversity in the British cabinet.

Kwarteng, whose parents originated from Ghana in the 1960s, has played down the significance of his ethnicity, focusing instead on his qualifications and experience. He was a beneficiary of the push initiated by former Prime Minister David Cameron to increase the number of women and minority prospects in the Conservative Party. Kwarteng's predecessor in the finance role and the runner-up to Truss in the leadership contest was Rishi Sunak, whose parents are from India.

The appointment of Cleverly as foreign minister also signifies a step forward in the representation of minority groups in the British cabinet. Suella Braverman, the second ethnic minority home secretary, or interior minister, in Britain, is another example of this diversity. Braverman's parents came to Britain from Kenya and Mauritius six decades ago.

Johnson's three money ministers included two men of South Asian beginning, demonstrating a continued effort towards diversity. However, despite the Conservative Party's diversity campaign, only a quarter of Conservative MPs are women and 6% are from minority backgrounds.

For the first time, a white man will not hold one of the nation's four crucial pastoral positions in the new British cabinet. This is a significant shift from the past, reflecting the party's commitment to inclusivity and representation.

The Conservative Party has a history of political firsts, including choosing the first Jewish prime minister in Benjamin Disraeli in 1868. However, it has also encountered complaints of racism, misogyny, and Islamophobia. Boris Johnson apologized in 2019 for explaining Muslim females using burqas as looking like letter boxes.

Despite the progress made in the representation of women and minority groups in the cabinet, the upper rankings of business, the judiciary, the civil service, and the military are still predominately white in Britain. The party's diversity campaign extends beyond the cabinet, with Cameron presenting a priority listing of women and minority prospects to be selected, many for secure seats in the House of Commons.

It is crucial for the Conservative Party to ensure the strength and resilience of any group, including a political party, according to James Arbuthnot, a member of the party board's board on prospects. Avoiding everyone thinking and acting in the same way is a key part of this, he stated.

Ethnic minority voters are far more likely to back the opposition Work event. The party's diversity campaign, therefore, is not just about representation, but also about winning over votes. The Conservative Party's success in this regard will be closely watched in the coming years.

David Lammy, a politician from Sierra Leone who experienced racism as a mixed-race child, is one of the many voices advocating for more diversity in British politics. His experiences highlight the importance of the Conservative Party's diversity campaign and the need for continued progress in this area.

In conclusion, the appointment of Kwasi Kwarteng and James Cleverly as finance minister and foreign minister, respectively, marks a significant step forward in the representation of minority groups in the British cabinet. However, there is still work to be done to ensure that the upper rankings of British society reflect the diversity of the country as a whole. The Conservative Party's diversity campaign, therefore, is an ongoing effort, one that is crucial for the party's success and for the future of British politics.

Britain's New Cabinet, Led by Liz Truss, Lacks a White Male in Senior Positions for the First Time