Women Councillors to Play a Key Role as Kevin Reshuffles the Shadow Cabinet
Cllr Kevin Foster, Leader of Coventry Conservatives, has today (Monday 16th May 2011) unveiled his Shadow Cabinet for the forthcoming year. In a sign of the growing role women are playing in public office four key roles have been allocated to female Councillors.
In addition to the appointment of a number of Councillors who have served in previous Cabinet and Shadow roles, Cllr Julia LePoidevin (Con, Woodlands) will take on a shadow brief for the first time. She becomes the Shadow Cabinet Member (Health & Community Services).
Commenting on the new Shadow Cabinet Cllr Kevin Foster said: "I am delighted to be unveiling a team that combines energy with experience and which is prepared to face the challenge set to us by the electorate on 5th May. As I pledged following my election as Leader we will react with humility to the recent results and look to make the changes necessary to regain the trust of local voters. This will not be a task only one person can achieve, but one that will require team work from all members of my group.”
Kevin believes that one sign of the changes he wants to bring to the Conservative Group is him taking a bold step to ensure women are at the top table of decision making for the City Council. He added: “It is impossible to defend the fact that 100 years after women were first able to stand for election to the City Council only two (20%) members of the City Council’s current Cabinet are female. By appointing four women to senior roles in my Shadow Cabinet I hope other parties, in particular Labour, will be encouraged to look seriously at how we can all ensure women are at the top table when key decisions are taken that affect the lives of all Coventrians.”
The details of Shadow Cabinet appointments were first announced by Cllr Foster on the micro blogging site Twitter earlier today. All appointments take effect from the City Council’s AGM on Thursday.
The Shadow Cabinet for 2011/12:
Cllr Kevin Foster (Policy, Leadership & Governance) – Shadow Leader
Cllr John Blundell (Strategic Finance & Resources) – Shadow Deputy Leader
Cllr Gary Ridley (City Development)
Cllr Heather Johnson (Children & Young People)
Cllr Susanna Dixon (Education)
Cllr Allan Andrews (City Services)
Cllr Marcus Lapsa (Sustainability & Local Infrastructure)
Cllr Julia LePoidevin (Health & Community Services)
Cllr Hazel Noonan (Neighbourhood Action, Housing, Leisure & Culture)
Cllr Andrew Williams (Community Safety & Equalities)