ENGLISH WOMEN RUE PARLIAMENT MACHOS

'laddish' PM

Mr Brown appointed just four women to full cabinet posts
Senior female Labour MPs have hit out at Gordon Brown for a government style that they say excludes women.

Ex-Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt told BBC Radio 4 that there was a "laddish" culture inside No 10.

And Caroline Flint, who resigned saying Mr Brown treated women as "window dressing", said female ministers were "picked out" for hostile briefings.

But Business Minister Baroness Vadera said Mr Brown was committed to getting more female MPs into Parliament.

Former children's minister Beverley Hughes said she was "shocked" at the lack of women in cabinet.

Former minister Jane Kennedy said she agreed with suggestions that Mr Brown dealt with colleagues like a "mafia boss".

Ms Hughes also reignited speculation about a possible leadership contest by suggesting that Mr Brown had three or four months at most to improve Labour's standing in the polls.