West unitary leader dismisses Labour leader's call for more women in top jobs as 'toxic identity politics'
After the departure of two Reform UK female councillors, with accusations of misogyny, the Labour leader wants to see more women on the West Northants unitary cabinet
By Nadia Lincoln, local democracy reporter and Sarah Ward
A call by the leader of the Labour group on West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) to include more women on the cabinet, has been dismissed as ‘toxic identity politics’ by the authority’s Reform UK leader.
In the week that two Reform UK female councillors stood down from WNC, Cllr Sally Keeble has said the current situation of just one woman on the ten member cabinet is ‘inadequate’ and Reform UK must ensure that ‘women’s voices are heard’.
But leader Mark Arnull, who now only holds a very small majority on the authority, has responded by saying that “voters overwhelmingly rejected the toxic identity politics DEI agenda” and that appointments have been chosen on the grounds of ‘merit’.
West Northants Labour group leader, Cllr Sally Keeble, said:
“Whatever the reasons for their decision to leave Reform UK, their departure means there are now only seven women out of 39 Reform councillors and only one in the cabinet.
“That isn’t adequate. The council provides a wide range of crucial services, and women should play an equal part in the decision-making structures. Reform must take steps to ensure that women’s voices are properly heard when those decisions are being made.”
Across the ten cabinet members and ten committee chairs in West Northants, there are three women who hold the top positions. These include Cllr Laura Couse (Reform UK) as cabinet member for adult care, public health and regulatory services, Cllr Hayley Adkins (Reform UK) as the chair of the children, education and housing scrutiny committee, and finally Cllr Alison Eastwood (Conservatives), who currently chairs full council.
Looking at the wider makeup of the council, just 32 per cent of all council seats (25 out of 76) were won by women at the last set of local elections in 2025. Out of the 28 wards in the West which have more than one member, nine elected all-male councillors. Only one ward did the same with women.
Breaking down the figures further by political party, Reform has the lowest representation of women within its group, now with just 18 per cent out of its 39-member majority.
The West Northants Labour group is made up of 62 per cent women, with five out of its eight members, and both the Conservatives and Lib Dems have over 40 per cent female councillors.
In response to the calls, WNC leader Mark Arnull said:
“Residents of West Northamptonshire demand and deserve leaders chosen on the grounds of merit and competence, not on gender, race, religion, or any other box-ticking quota.
“In May, local voters overwhelmingly rejected the toxic identity politics DEI agenda. Reform UK firmly believes that we should appoint the best person for the job without discrimination.”
Cllr Kathryn Shaw, who was formerly the lead member for children, families and education, and Cllr Joanne Blythe quit the party and became independent on Monday. Cllr Shaw has said that she was forced to resign and was not given the precise details of why Cllr Arnull wanted her to stand down. Cllr Blythe, quit after she was suspended by the party for asking questions about how a councillor could become independent. She told NN Journal that she perceived ‘misogynistic undertones’ in her treatment.
Women have been absent from the top jobs in Northants politics for several years. When the Conservatives ran the North and West unitary, they were both headed up by male leaders and before that the seven councils that were closed down in 2021 to form the new unitary authorities were all led by men.
The last female political leader in Northants was Heather Smith, who quit the party after the council’s financial implosion in 2018, later saying she had been made a ‘scapegoat’.