Maria Miller resigns: Cabinet replacements Sajid Javid and Nicky Morgan have controversial pasts
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Version 0 of 1. Newly rid of one ministerial headache after Maria Miller's resignation, David Cameron may find his new cabinet members' recent pasts throw up a few controversies of their own. Ms Miller resigned on Wednesday morning, after a build-up of pressure over her response to a parliamentary inquiry into her expenses. Sajid Javid, who replaces Ms Miller as Culture Secretary, made headlines last month when he suggested no women "merited" a place on the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). In his last job as economic secretary to the treasury, he said the MPC (whose membership is entirely male) "consists of individuals who are best-qualified to make the decisions necessary to achieve the government's monetary policy objectives." "All appointments are made on merit," he said. At the time, Labour shadow treasury minister Cathy Jamieson said: "It’s pretty outrageous for a Treasury minister to imply that the reason there are no women on the Monetary Policy Committee is because appointments are based on merit. “These comments reflect a deeper problem within David Cameron’s government, which is totally out of touch with women across the country." Also moving jobs today is Nicky Morgan, who takes up Mr Javid’s former role as number three at the Treasury and will also take on Ms Miller’s office as Minister for Women. Ms Morgan, MP for Loughborough, was among those who voted against gay marriage in 2013, telling The Leicester Mercury: "Marriage, to me, is between a man and a woman." Parliament eventually legalised same-sex unions, with the first ceremonies taking place last month. And in 2011, Ms Morgan backed anti-abortion campaigner Nadine Dorries' amendment to the Health and Social Care Bill, to require independent advice be made available to women requesting an abortion. |