Tory Minister under fire after implying there are no women on the MPC because appointments are “based on merit”

Treasury Minister Sajid Javid has come under fire today over his comments regarding the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) which currently has no female members. In response to a question in the Commons, Javid said:

“The Monetary Policy Committee consists of individuals who are best-qualified to make to the decisions necessary to achieve the government’s monetary policy objectives…All appointments are made on merit.”

So there are no female members of the MPC, but all appointments are made on merit. Does that mean that no women deserve to be on the committee? Labour’s Cathy Jamieson certainly thought that was Javid’s implication, and has gone on the attack this afternoon. The Shadow Treasury Minister 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.

“There are a great number of talented women economists who could serve on this key decision-making body. But George Osborne has not appointed a single woman to the MPC in nearly four years as Chancellor. This is why since June 2010, and for the first time since 1997, there have been no women on the MPC. As Ed Balls has said, Labour is determined to put this right if we win the next election.

“These comments reflect a deeper problem within David Cameron’s government, which is totally out of touch with women across the country. Women are being hit hard by the cost-of-living crisis and the Chancellor’s Budget choices have hit women four times harder than men.”

The drip, drip, drip of stories about Cameron’s “women problem” continues…