THE promotion of Ruth Kelly to education secretary has led to a bout of backstabbing by female colleagues on Labour’s back benches.

After three days of tributes to the 36-year-old mother of four, the claws are out over her rapid rise to such a big spending department.

Women MPs were left railing when Kelly leapfrogged more experienced and “sisterly” colleagues in a cabinet reshuffle following David Blunkett’s resignation.

Some of the “Blair babes” are disappointed that despite being a working mum she has not been more forthright about women’s issues. “How has she managed to get so far when she’s had so much maternity leave?” asked one female colleague.

A Roman Catholic, Kelly opposes abortion and euthanasia and once told Tony Blair that she could never support stem cell research. Some MPs fear her religion may cloud her judgment on issues such as sex education. She was last week excused the three-line whip vote on living wills.

She reportedly attends meetings of a secretive ultra-conservative Catholic group, Opus Dei, which features in the best-selling thriller The Da Vinci Code.

One woman MP said: “There is no denying that she has not been the most vocal on women’s issues. And while other matters like the economy can be women’s issues too, I do think that is important.”

A woman backbencher who was elected with Kelly in 1997 said: “What’s she ever done for Labour? We were the people in the key seats, rather than that cow who was dropped in and had barely been a party member for a couple of years.

“She wouldn’t talk to most of us. It was like she regarded herself as one of the ‘in-girls’. This promotion is just a kick in the teeth.”

In more signs of Labour tension over the reshuffle, Charles Clarke, the new home secretary, accepted the job on condition that Alan Milburn be kept from interfering in his brief. Milburn wants Labour’s immigration policy “sharpened”.

Milburn, who is in charge of Labour’s election manifesto, had been encroaching on Blunkett’s turf, arguing that Labour should find a tougher new policy to match Tory plans to introduce asylum quotas. A party source said: “Charles wanted to make clear he was the boss now.”

Clarke and Milburn clashed a few months ago when Labour’s election surpremo urged the then education secretary to “spice up” his party conference speech. “I’m not going to be told what to do by someone who knows nothing about education,” Clarke told a colleague at the time.

Clarke, who is socially liberal, wants changes to Blunkett’s drugs bill, which will allow police to test people for drugs when arrested rather than when charged.

Kelly did not respond to reports she goes to Opus Dei meetings. The religious movement was founded in Spain in the 1920s and claims 80,000 members. Its aim is to contribute to the “evangelising mission” of the church. A group spokesman said: “She is in contact and attends (our) activities.”

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