Unite boss Len McCluskey: Jeremy Corbyn should have appoint a woman for higher rank

Jeremy Corbyn should have appointed a woman to one of the top shadow ministerial jobs, the leader of the country’s biggest union has said.

Len McCluskey, the general secretary of the Unite union which backed Mr Corbyn in the leadership contest, said he was concerned about dearth of top occupations for women in Mr Corbyn’s shadow Cabinet.

Mr McCluskey told The Telegraph: “I was slightly concerned that a woman was not in one of the top jobs – I think it might be a mistake but putting Angela (Eagle) in as first secretary may have balanced that.”

“But there are more than 50 per cent of women in the Cabinet. I think it is an interesting Cabinet and we will wait to see where it takes us. Give the man at least a week.”

Mr Corbyn is under fire for not giving a female MP among the historic top jobs in Leader: the shadow Cabinet, shadow Home Secretary, shadow Foreign Secretary or shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer.