A huge cabinet reshuffle was rolled by Prime Minister Keir Starmer today following the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner.
In one of the key moves, veteran Labour figure David Lammy was new Deputy Prime Minister, while also assuming the role of Justice Secretary.
Rayner stepped down amid an ethics investigation determining she had breached ministerial code by underpaying approximately £40,000 in stamp duty on a property purchase, though she was found to have acted in good faith.
Her resignation also included leaving her posts as Housing Secretary and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.
The reshuffle is seen as a crucial test for Starmer’s leadership, especially as Rayner had been a prominent and working-class figure whose departure may weaken his appeal to core Labour voters.
Key Cabinet reassignment
-Lammy transitions from Foreign Secretary to Deputy PM and Justice Secretary.
-Yvette Cooper moves from Home Secretary to Foreign Secretary.
-Shabana Mahmood is promoted from Justice Secretary to Home Secretary.
Other notable appointments are:
-Steve Reed as Housing Secretary
-Pat McFadden as head of a newly expanded Work and Pensions department
-Douglas Alexander as Scotland Secretary
-Liz Kendall moves to Science and Technology
-Emma Reynolds becomes Environment Secretary
-Peter Kyle appointed Business Secretary
-Jonathan Reynolds named Chief Whip
-Alan Campbell becomes Leader of the House of Commons
Meanwhile, Lucy Powell and Ian Murray were removed from their cabinet roles.
Labour now faces mounting political pressure. Observers note Rayner’s exit leaves a vacuum for constituents drawn to her working-class credentials, possibly intensifying internal party divisions.
Her resignation also triggers a deputy leadership contest, opening up a battleground between the party’s centrist and left-leaning factions.
Moreover, Labour’s popularity has waned, with opposition to policies on welfare and immigration increasing support for Reform UK.
Starmer’s government’s handling of economic pressures and an upcoming £40 billion budget shortfall deepen the political stakes.
Lammy’s appointment is viewed as strategically significant. Known for his reform credentials and advocacy for criminal justice reform, his new position comes as Parliament prepares for the Sentencing Bill.
The Prison Reform Trust welcomed his appointment, noting the timing offers “an important opportunity to move away from the failed cycle of overcrowding and crisis management.”
This reshuffle represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of Keir Starmer’s administration. With Labour under heightened scrutiny and internal frictions rising, the effectiveness of the newly configured cabinet will be a litmus test of Starmer’s leadership, particularly as the party approaches a difficult budget season, rising populist pressures, and internal power shifts ahead of the next deputy leadership election.
