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Watch: Jeremy Corbyn ignores questions about the lack of women in his shadow cabinet

Jeremy Corbyn is only two days into his leadership of the Labour party, and his fans are beginning to realise what they have done Despite insisting throughout his leadership campaign that he would ensure ‘real gender equality’, Corbyn hasn’t seen fit to appoint a woman in any of the more senior Cabinet roles. As Helen Lewis observed, he has married more women than he has placed shadowing the great offices of state. Vive le Revolution!

While it had been expected that he would offer Angela Eagle the role of shadow Chancellor, instead he opted for his old time socialist chum John McDonnell. You may remember him from the furore he caused by saying that the IRA are to thank for the peace in Northern Ireland.

When Sky News‘s Darren McCaffrey attempted to ask Corbyn last night why he had not appointed any women in the top jobs, the Labour leader came across rather shy. This led to an awkward camera chase:

https://twitter.com/DMcCaffreySKY/status/643212718502223872

Still not giving in…

With Corbyn sending Tom Watson onto the Marr Show in his place, and new shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn speaking on Today, Mr S hopes he refrains from enlisting McDonnell to defuse tensions on his women problem. Last year McDonnell ‘joked‘ about Esther McVey — who was employment minister at the time — after a campaign was launched to kick her out of her seat. He said that activists were arguing ‘Why aren’t we lynching the bastard?’. Labour, then, was able to distance itself from his reamarks. It doesn’t have that luxury now.

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Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

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