Labour shadow secretary of state demands Theresa May drop Toby Young appointment

Labour have demanded Theresa May reverse the government’s decision to put right-wing former journalist and free schools advocate Toby Young on the board of the newly created Office for Students.

Shadow secretary of state for Women and Equalities Dawn Butler MP called on the Prime Minister this morning to reconsider her decision to appoint the controversial figure due to his “misogyny and homophobia”.

Butler tweeted this morning: “Theresa May cannot allow this appointment to stand. She must also explain what exactly made them appoint him in the first place. Transparency is key to changing attitudes and outcomes.”

Butler went on to tell the Independent: “By any measure, this is a shocking appointment by the Prime Minister. These comments show that Toby Young is completely unsuitable for this role.”

“If she fails to rethink this appointment, the message Theresa May is sending to students is that under the Tories, misogyny and homophobia will not just be tolerated but rewarded.”

There has been backlash on Twitter since the announcement of the appointment was made last weekend, Guardian columnist Owen Jones leading the calls for Young to be dropped:

Boris Johnson joined the Twitter fray this morning claiming there had been a “Ridiculous outcry over Toby Young.” The foreign secretary added: “He will bring independence, rigour and caustic wit. Ideal man for job”.