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Louise Thomas
Editor
Rachel Reeves has said she is unable to have a urinal removed from her office toilet because it is listed and cannot be altered.
After the general election it was reported that work was set to take the urinal out of the Ms Reeves’s private office in Whitehall. But weeks later the chancellor, the first woman to hold the post since its creation a thousand years ago, said the facility is “still is in there” and cannot be replaced.
Appearing on an episode of the News Agents podcast, Ms Reeves invited host Emily Maitlis into the bathroom to see the urinal still standing.
Ms Reeves said: “I am the first female chancellor of the exchequer, the post has existed for between 800 and 1,000 years, depending on who you listen to, and I was wondering, Emily, whether you would like to, on the way out, come and have a look at the chancellor’s toilet to see the urinal that still is in there.”
A stunned Jon Sopel said “you’ve still got a urinal?”, while Ms Maitlis rocked back and forth laughing.
“Jon, Emily, I do have a urinal in my toilet. Jon, I am not inviting you in, but Emily if you would like to have a glimpse on your way out of the building I would be delighted to show you,” Ms Reeves added.
The Independent understands that, as well as a urinal, the chancellor’s office also has a toilet she can sit on.
Ms Reeves has spoken movingly about being the first female chancellor of the exchequer, including after the general election when she said: “To every young girl and woman reading this, let today show that there should be no limit to your ambitions.”
She has promised to smash glass ceilings in the role and seek to end the gender pay gap. And Ms Reeves has said Labour will break down barriers that have left women disproportionately working in childcare, social care and retail – while highlighting that “far too many women” are kept out of the workplace altogether for extended periods after having children.
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