Rishi Sunak says his newly-appointed cabinet “reflects a united party” after the PM promised to form a government of “all the talents” – but the stats show it is actually one of the least diverse frontbenches in decades.
The reshuffle by the UK’s third leader this year has changed the gender and ethnicity balance of the cabinet – with some departing ministers having a very short tenure in key positions.
The average age of cabinet ministers is 52, up from 49 under Liz Truss.
At 42, Rishi Sunak is one of the youngest members of his own cabinet – with only two other ministers the same age: Home Secretary Suella Braverman and International Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch.
Some 15 of the 21 full-time cabinet ministers are aged 50 or over.
The cabinet has become less diverse, both in terms of gender and ethnicity.
According to Sky News, in Sunak’s government, 22 per cent of all people able to attend cabinet meetings are women.
This is down from 32 per cent at the start of Truss’s premiership, which was the highest proportion ever for a prime minister’s first cabinet.
It is also lower than the equivalent figure for Boris Johnson (24 per cent) and Theresa May (30 per cent).
Five of the 31 people able to attend Sunak’s cabinet are non-white, including the prime minister.
This is down from seven out of 31 in Liz Truss’s initial top team.
Sunak will face his first Commons appearance as Prime Minister on Wednesday, as he begins the gruelling task of uniting his party and restoring the UK’s economic credibility.
The new Prime Minister will square off against Sir Keir Starmer later in what will be the first test of how unified the party is behind its new leader.
