A close ally of incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham has publicly criticized the outgoing Labour leadership under Sir Keir Starmer for what she described as sexist briefings targeting senior female Labour MPs. Louise Haigh, a former transport secretary and prominent figure in the Labour Party, accused what she termed a "cabal of men" within the government of deliberately mistreating female colleagues, including former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and cabinet ministers Bridget Phillipson and Lisa Nandy.
Speaking on a political podcast, Haigh asserted that the notion there was no coordinated effort to undermine women inside the government was “fanciful.” She accused Downing Street of routinely briefing the press with "vicious" and "unpleasant" attacks against key female MPs, naming Phillipson, Nandy, and Rayner as victims of this behavior. Haigh also criticized the treatment of Sir Keir’s first chief of staff, Sue Gray, calling it “absolutely disgraceful.”
The comments come just days before Andy Burnham is expected to assume office as prime minister. Haigh said Burnham has been preparing for the premiership for over a year and is committed to moving away from what many women in the Labour Party have called a “boys’ club” culture within Sir Keir’s No. 10 operation. This culture has been previously alleged by Nandy, who in February accused Labour of issuing briefings “dripping with misogyny.”
Haigh also recounted her own experience of what she described as a damaging and unsupportive response from the Starmer administration following her resignation from the cabinet in 2024. She stepped down after admitting to pleading guilty to a criminal offence related to falsely reporting the theft of a work mobile phone in 2013. Haigh said she had informed Sir Keir of the matter while Labour was still in opposition and had been promoted by him several times afterward.
However, she claimed the government’s handling of her case after it became public was harsh and deliberately aimed at undermining her reputation. She noted that although Downing Street initially approved a statement confirming she had disclosed the issue to Starmer, she said she later received a call from Morgan McSweeney, the former chief of staff, pressuring her to resign. Haigh said repeated requests for clarification on “additional information” cited by officials were ignored, and she did not receive a single personal conversation or explanation from Starmer since her departure.
Haigh described the aftermath as a painful and humiliating experience exacerbated by persistent negative briefings. “I’ve had to sack people in my political career, and you don’t have to do it in a way that’s frankly so hurtful,” she said.
In response, Morgan McSweeney has denied the existence of a “boys’ club” or sexist culture within No. 10, questioning the allegations that senior female Labour figures were subjected to targeted mistreatment. The Starmer administration is now in its final days before Burnham officially takes over, with Haigh emphasizing the incoming leader’s intention to break with past patterns and promote a more inclusive environment.