Let’s Play Intersectional Cabinet Bingo
Now that we have seen that the cabinet has been announced, let’s take a look at which oppressed and under-represented groups have made good.
There are six men on the new cabinet. Happily, they aren’t all straight white men. Hoorah!
Amongst the six are three gay/bi men, one of whom scores double points because he is also Jewish, (but we’re not sure if being Jewish is the same as being white, so maybe he loses a point if he is white); and two are Muslim men. Of the remaining individual, alas we have no information beyond his being white and male. Shame! We do expect him to take responsibility and do something to correct that deficiency. But he gets an extra credit for getting on to the cabinet with no previous experience.
Women are the big winners in the new cabinet. Of course, Mayor Fiaz chairs the cabinet and she is joined by seven others. Only five get additional points as WOC and one gets even more points as a newbie. Despite having no experience and having stood against Labour for both Lutfer Rahman’s Tower Hamlets First party and Respect, Sabia Kamali is rewarded with a cabinet role. She is standing beside fellow Stratford councillor, Josh Garfield. The one Stratford councillor who is missing is, of course, Terry Paul who was ousted in favour of Zulfiqar Ali.
Six of the new team are Muslims; four get double points for being Muslims and Women.
We think that there are three White Heterosexuals, but as two of them are women, that’s probably ok.
There are two Black women, so they get double points. There are no Black men, they have all been successfully expelled.
Two are complete Newbies. In addition to Fiaz, only four have completed more than one term as councillors, which leaves the remainder basking in the glow of four years’ experience each.
The Score Sheet.
Women 8
Men 6
Gay/Bi Men 3
Muslims 5
Christians 1 (that we know of, but as he is gay we shouldn’t count his religion against him)
Black women 2
Black Men 0
White Men 4 (If being Jewish equates with being White; 3 if not)
White Women 2
S. Asian Men 2
S.Asian Women 4
Mayor Fiaz only misses top points by the slightest margin. There may be one straight white man on her cabinet, albeit in a Deputy role; so in our game of Intersectional Bingo, she scores very highly indeed. Well done Mayor Fiaz. But we’re sure that you will do even better next time.