Morecambe MP slams "100 per cent male" choice of Lancashire County Council cabinet

Saturday, 24 May 2025 09:21

By Greg Lambert @greglam72

Stephen Atkinson, Reform UK leader of Lancashire County Council, and Lizzi Collinge, MP for Morecambe & Lunesdale

The MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale has hit out at Reform UK's choice of a "100 per cent male" council cabinet.

Lizzi Collinge said she was "appalled" that the Lancashire County Council cabinet, announced on Thursday, had no female members.

Reform UK gained control of the county council, winning 53 of 84 seats, at the local elections earlier this month.

A Reform spokesperson said they "want the best people for the job...not based on sex, skin colour, or star-sign, but on competence, courage, and common sense".

In a post on her official Facebook page, the Labour MP said: "I am appalled that there will be no female representatives at the highest level of Lancashire County Council.

"It's shocking that the Reform Lancashire County Council cabinet is 100 per cent male.

"This follows a loss of half of women representatives on May 2.

"It's clear that Reform are not serious about representing the real Lancashire."

A post in response, by the Reform UK Morecambe and Lunesdale branch, said: "It’s ironic that the outcome of the Lancashire County Council election, a clear rejection of the status quo, should be greeted not with introspection, but with identity politics by our current MP Lizzi Collinge.

"Yes, the new cabinet is all male. But perhaps that reflects something deeper: that voters are no longer buying the polished slogans, quota talk, or political platitudes of the two-party duopoly. People are tired. Tired of being ignored. Tired of crisis after crisis while their so-called representatives argue over optics.

"We want the best people for the job. Not based on sex, skin colour, or star-sign, but on competence, courage, and common sense. Because the Chancellor is borrowing £20bn a month (NOTE - government borrowing was £20.2bn in April), the PM is giving away more than that in deals that leave us renting back our own assets, our pensioners are freezing, our children are hungry and not safe, the state outbids its own citizens in the housing market, with our tax money, (and) the economy is flatlining while businesses and jobs are taxed into oblivion.

"And this is what our MP chooses to amplify? Cabinet gender ratios?

"It would be more useful if our local MP spent her remaining time in office tackling real issues, rather than playing political cymbals every time there's a photo op. Because right now, the country’s burning, and voters aren’t fooled by the noise any more."

County Councillor Stephen Atkinson, leader of the Reform UK group and county councillor for the Ribble Valley South West, was appointed as leader of the council at a meeting at County Hall on Thursday.

The other cabinet members are:

County Councillor Simon Evans, deputy leader and cabinet member for Children and Families (county councillor for Skelmersdale Central)
County Councillor Graham Dalton, cabinet member for Adult Social Care (county councillor for Lancaster Rural North)
County Councillor David Dwyer, cabinet member for I.T. & Data (county councillor for Fylde South)
County Councillor Warren Goldsworthy, cabinet member for Highways and Transport (county councillor for Clitheroe)
County Councillor Daniel Matchett, cabinet member for Health and Wellbeing (county councillor for Whitworth & Bacup)
County Councillor Ged Mirfin, cabinet member for Resources, HR and Property (county councillor for Ribble Valley North East)
County Councillor Brian Moore, cabinet member for Economic Development and Growth (county councillor for Morecambe South)
County Councillor Joshua Roberts, cabinet member for Rural Affairs, Environment and Communities (county councillor for Fylde East)
County Councillor Matthew Salter, cabinet member for Education and Skills (county councillor for Wyre Rural Central)

Councillor Atkinson said: “I am incredibly proud to be the new leader of the county council and very much looking forward to my new role and getting down to business.

"I will be ably assisted by my cabinet, which is filled with people who come from a wide range of backgrounds and have a huge wealth of experience in their chosen careers.

"Sitting around my cabinet table will be councillors who have decades of experience in areas such as children's services, education, health, economic development and expertise in digital industries.

"Together we will be working hard to serve the people of Lancashire and tackling the issues which are most important to residents."

More information on the new cabinet can be found HERE.

Nine of the 53 Reform UK councillors on Lancashire County Council are female.