Where are the women Harriet Harmen??

What influence has Harriet got with Gordon? Did Gordon consult with Harriet before deciding on his cabinet? Has he listened to the party? Obviously not, listening is not a verb in the new labour dictionary. Asbo Hazel Blears - least popular with labour party members gets to stay in the cabinet and as community ...excuse me, but this dictatorial hectoring pain should be sent back to well deserved oblivion. Lets have more women in the cabinet but 'real' women please. Balls for children - won't work...empathy required .. preferably experience of children ....obviously an equal opportunity appointment. Just get to know the right people and you will be OK. Men can be so god with childrens issues and womens issues as long as that involves a top job and pay and prestige. Not for them slaving over a hot stove or cleaning up vomit, school run and the dash to work and so on and on..

You, particularly if you are a bloke - could be dropped into a safe seat and given a prestigious job and even in some cases end up as Northern Ireland sec! Wow! Inflict anyone on the people of Northern Ireland and don't even ask want they think about it. Not only that Tony would have us give him all the credit for 'peace', do you get the same impression as me, that Mo Molan is being written out of the history of N Ireland?

Even Slugger O Toole has no comment on the appointment of Shaun Woodward as Northern Ireland Secretary. Obviously there to put Tories on the map slugger! What a dreadful expression for a name!

Formerly a Tory MP for David Cameron’s seat of Whitney, Mr Woodward defected to Labour in 1999 after opposing the party’s position on gay rights. In the 2001 general election after Labour 'found' him the working-class seat of St Helens South.

However, I am worried that the government seems to think Northern Ireland is a problem solved. If any other city in the UK was divided by walls and totally segregated, with more than their fair share of racists and womens rights and representation 50 years behind the rest of the uk, that would be a serious problem. At the same time, the government is set on expanding the numbers of faith schools in England in the mistaken belief that it is better for children, perhaps they should take some heed of what has happened and is happening in Northern Ireland after all and recognise the terrible consequences of the role of faith schools in propagating hate between communities.

A enlightened prime minister with courage could have appointed a woman to lead Northern Ireand into the future.

I feel that the women of Northern Ireland are due an apology if not compenstation for the shabby dicriminating treatment they received at the hands of the likes of Ian Paisley and other orange leaders and politicans which added considerabley to the bigotry and religious discrimination they already had to endure . I feel sick when I see Paisley lauded by Blair and the labour party.

Sorry that I am not surprised by the news that Sir Digby is to be given a peerage and will have to join the Labour Party in order to serve as a minister. Why join the labour party at all as it is only a brand name that you can apparently buy into. I have the view that government ministers should be elected so that they are at the very least accountable to their electorate. How foolish was I to think that the labour party represented a stand against patronage and class privilege.