Britain has begun the search for the next boss of its central bank ahead of Carney’s departure in nine months’ time.

“As you might have noticed, I do like it when women are in senior positions. I think women should be encouraged to apply for senior positions,” she told a committee of senior parliamentary lawmakers.

“It will be important to take the decision as to who is the right person to be the governor of the Bank of England, but I would encourage applications from female applicants,” May, who started her career at the Bank , said.

Speaking separately, the Bank’s top oversight official said the next governor should be the best person for the job regardless of gender, but also said that a female governor would be an event of historical significance.

“It will be a brilliant moment for this institution when we appoint our first woman governor and it will be a brilliant moment for the institution when we appoint our first BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) governor,” Bradley Fried, chairman of the BoE’s Court, told the Treasury Committee.

Carney, a Canadian, became the first foreign governor in the Bank’s three-century history when he took up his role on 1 July 2013. He is due to step down on 31 January next year.

Many of the people expected to be front-runners to replace him are male, including former BoE deputy governor Andrew Bailey who is now chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority, a markets regulator, and current top BoE officials such as deputy governor Ben Broadbent and chief economist Andy Haldane.

NAN