Handbag Party
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/V.l.n.r._Minister_Chris_van_der_Klaauw%2C_Premier_Margareth_Thatcher_en_Minister-p%2C_Bestanddeelnr_931-3061_%28cropped%29.jpg/220px-V.l.n.r._Minister_Chris_van_der_Klaauw%2C_Premier_Margareth_Thatcher_en_Minister-p%2C_Bestanddeelnr_931-3061_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Handbag Party (Chinese:
Soon after the handover, rumoured disagreement between Chan and the inaugural Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa diminished the power of the Handbag Party. Following the introduction of the Principal Officials Accountability System, most of the members were not promoted to appointed minister-level principal officials and remained as permanent secretary only.[4] As Chan retired early in 2001, others either followed suit or remained in the government of Tung and later of Donald Tsang.
List of members
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Anson_Chan_larged_20051219.jpg/100px-Anson_Chan_larged_20051219.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1f/Margaret_Chan.jpg/100px-Margaret_Chan.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Rita_Lau.jpg/100px-Rita_Lau.jpg)
The clique was led by Anson Chan and with Lily Yam as the number two. Members include:[5]
Position in 1982 | Highest position | After retirement | |
---|---|---|---|
Anson Chan | Deputy Director of Social Welfare | Chief Secretary (1993–2001) | Member of Legislative Council (2007–2008) |
Margaret Chan | Government-employed doctor | Director of Health (1994–2003) | Director-General of World Health Organization (2006–2017), member of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference |
Cheung Man-yee | Radio Television Hong Kong Controller (Broadcasting Services - Radio) | Director of Broadcasting (1986–1999) | Representative to Tokyo (1999–2002) |
Katherine Fok | Secretary of Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries and Conditions of Service | Health Secretary (1994–1999) | Retired |
Rita Lau | Administrative Officer at Government Secretariat | Commerce Secretary (2008–2011) | Chairman of Public Service Commission (2014–2023) |
Sandra Birch Lee | Administrative Officer at Government Secretariat | Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (2007–2011) | Retired |
Shelley Lee | Administrative Officer at Government Secretariat | Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs (2002–2005) | Retired |
Lily Yam | Deputy Commissioner of Independent Commission Against Corruption | Environment Secretary (2000–2002) | Retired |
Carrie Yau | Administrative Officer at Government Secretariat | Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs (2007–2010) | Executive Director of Vocational Training Council (2013–2021) |
Irene Yau ( |
Information Officer | Director of Information Services (1987–1997) | Retired |
Helen Yu ( |
Deputy Hong Kong Commissioner in London | Director of Regional Services (1998–2000) | Member of Independent Police Complaints Council |
Denise Yue | Administrative Officer at Government Secretariat | Civil Service Secretary (2006–2012) | Retired |
Other members said to be part of the Handbag Party include Elizabeth Margaret Bosher, former minister, Elizabeth Wong, former Health Secretary, and Baroness Dunn, former Senior Member of Executive Council and Legislative Council.[6]
Carrie Lam, who would become Chief Executive, was also claimed to be a part of the group, but it was denied by Lam herself and Chan, who described her successor as "unaligned".[7]
Aftermath
[edit]With CY Leung selected as the new Chief Executive, the last prominent member of the Handbag Party left the administration in 2012. Some of the members leaned towards liberal in 2019, with Yue and Chan calling for an independent enquiry over the large-scale protests, which was rejected by the Lam ministry.[8] According to media reports, the group still met often despite their retirement.[9]
References
[edit]- ^
陳 ,芳 葆 (2007). "From colony to SAR: the rise and decline of "handbag party" in Hong Kong". Hong Kong Shue Yan University. - ^ "【Power to the Ladies】
古典 手袋 黨 ". LifeStyle Journal. Retrieved 2023-11-18. - ^ "
手袋 黨 |食 衛 局 前 常 秘 李 淑 儀 沽薄扶林豪 宅 賺逾3,700萬 ". Finance730 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 2023-05-31. Retrieved 2023-11-17. - ^ "
手袋 黨 成員 全 為 女 高官 ". Apple Daily. 2005-12-06. Retrieved 2023-11-18. - ^
黃 ,海 (2017).香港 社會 階層 分析 .商務 印 書 館 (香港 )有限 公司 . pp. 271–2. ISBN 9789620772184. - ^ "【
非凡 人物 】除 了 能力 還 有 氣質 !緬 懷 香港 「手袋 黨 」的 優雅 !". BusinessFocus (in Chinese). Retrieved 2023-11-17. - ^ "
回顧 公僕 生涯 林 鄭 月 娥:無 「馬 房 」也不是 「手袋 黨 」". RTHK (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 2020-08-18. Archived from the original on 2021-03-17. - ^
沙 半山 (2019-07-23). "【元 朗 黑 夜 】任 關 佩英等 36前 高官 再發 聯 署 信 促設獨立 委員 會 ".香港 01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 2023-11-17. - ^ "
手袋 黨 怒 罵 《毒舌 大 狀 》". Bastille Post. 2023-03-24. Retrieved 2023-11-17.