Analysis: How diverse is Liz Truss's Cabinet and how many went to private school?

Liz Truss held her first cabinet meeting on Wednesday after making appointments late into Tuesday night

COMMENTATORS have been praising Liz Truss's "diverse" Cabinet appointments - but is it all that it seems?

The new Prime Minister has created a paradox. On the one hand, there are no white men holding any of the UK's four most important ministerial positions.

On the other, it is part of a right-wing government that is actively implementing policies which harm and affect minority groups.

Kwasi Kwarteng has been made the first black Chancellor and James Cleverly became the first black man in the role of Foreign Secretary. With Suella Braverman taking over the Home Office from Priti Patel and Truss taking over as PM, it appears as if this is the most diverse cabinet in history.

Overall, 30% of available posts have been filled by people of colour, compared to a national estimate of 13.7%.

But it is still chock full of men. Of the 23 Cabinet positions available, Truss appointed 15 male MPs - that's just over 65%. Meanwhile, eight women have been given senior government positions. That's around 35%, well short of the 51% of the population that women account for.

Of those eight junior ministers who will also attend Cabinet, six are men and two are women. That's two-thirds of the 31 available seats around the table held by men.

Gender isn't the only factor here. There are also a staggering number of Cabinet ministers who have been privately educated, compared to their public school colleagues.

Liz Truss's cabinet is still chock full of male Tory MPs

Kwarteng, Braverman, Cleverly and 15 other ministers have been privately educated, while Truss and four others went to a comprehensive.

The Sutton Trust released analysis on Wednesday which found 68% of the new cabinet attended a private school, compared to 7% of the overall UK population.

That's 4% more than Boris Johnson's Cabinet - and it's indicative of the enormous gulf between those running the country and those who live in it.

Truss herself is reportedly gunning for Scotland's transgender reforms and has sought legal advice, having previously blocked self-ID in England in her role as minister for women and equalities.

Now, Nadhim Zahawi has taken over the brief, and the word "women" has been quietly dropped from the title.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, a climate sceptic and multi-millionaire, was put in charge of the Business and Energy brief prompting concern amongst environmental campaigners.

Therese Coffey, who has previously voted against extending access to abortion care, has been made Health Secretary during a time when protesters funded by the American far-right and religious groups are targeting Scottish and Northern Irish clinics.

Coffey has come under fire for her views on abortion provision on her first day as health secretary and deputy PM

Alister Jack, who has clung on as Scottish Secretary, was found to have claimed a whopping £4059 in utilities for his second home earlier this year - when the public is facing an 80% hike in energy bills - despite being a multi-millionaire land owner.

Braverman has previously said the UK must withdraw from the European Convention of Human Rights and is reportedly set to take a harder line on immigration than her predecessor.

It could be argued that this Cabinet isn't diverse at all, as the majority of Tory ministers are rich, privately educated and have little to no links to the reality that the rest of the country is living in.