I prefer to see people rise to the top by merit. Sometimes a little help is required to overcome glass ceilings but generally quota’s don’t help anything and devalues the work of those who have been succesful.

The West Suffolk Council cabinet meets tonight, at 6pm at the Mildenhall Hub, for the first time. If you have time come along and say hello.

We Conservatives are no longer in control. The Cabinet is now run by a minority labour led coalition.

I was surprised that females are so underrepresented. There are 12 top jobs in a council, the Chair, Vice Chair and the 10 members in cabinet. Of these 12 only 2 are held by females. That can’t be right surely? But then we only have to look at Labour nationally and it is a very macho organisation that has never managed to deliver a female leader.

Interestingly, there are four other important posts, the chairs and vice chairs of the two scrutiny committees. I was able to nominate for one of these committees and as luck would have it and not because they are female both chair and vice chair are females. Something for Labour to learn I suspect.

Write to the Labour Leader and express your feeling at how badly females are represented under his leadership. cliff.waterman@westsuffolk.gov.uk