We have a new Prime Minister and here’s what we know about Starmer’s New Cabinet; 11 women and a peer get the 22 positions in the New Cabinet.
Sir Keir Starmer won a landslide and with it he brings a Labour Government to Downing street after a 14 years of exile.
In his first day of the job Keir Starmer and his newly picked top team will meet later this morning to focus on what they’re calling their “first steps” – think economic stability, illegal immigration and NHS waiting lists.
So, what we know about Starmer’s New Cabinet
Sir Keir Starmer’s new cabinet is largely made up of people we don’t know a great deal about, apart from Ed Miliband, the snake who stuck to it his brother, and Angela Rayner who stuck it to Jeremy Corbyn.
Labours real political heavyweights have all but been banished from the party, for being Corbyn-faces so these new faces have a lot of work to do and a lot to learn after the easy General election win.
The Labour Cabinet – rewards for loyalty and AG is gets a peerage
Sir Keir Starmer has to reward loyalty, but also didn’t really have a great deal of choice and a noticeable absentee from his cabinet is Diane Abbott who served as the Shadow Home Secretary and won her constituency of Hackney and Stoke Newington by a landslide.
After the fallout from the Jeremy Corbyn era, labour have struggled to bring in the new faces, not just to build a new image but to fit the demands of ‘Friends of Israel Lobby group’. Labour can’t afford to be seen as the opposition to Israel.
Sir Keir Starmer’s New cabinet – Who they are and what we know about them
He has appointed 22 Labour MPs and peers to key cabinet positions, including a record 11 women.
The Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will set out his priorities for government today after promising to begin the work of change immediately.
Deputy Minister – Angela Rayner
An MP for Ashton-under-Lyne since 2015, elected deputy Labour leader in 2020. Born and raised in Stockport, Greater Manchester, grew up a council estate, left school and had a baby at 16.
Withdrew her support for Corbyn after backing him as an MP.
The Chancellor of Exchequer – Rachel Reeves
Rachel Reeves is the new chancellor of the Exchequer and is the first woman appointed to the role.
She was one of the ones groomed for a more dominant role in the Labour party after the fallout from the Jeremy Corbyn leadership.
She grew up in south London and worked as an economist before being elected as the MP for Leeds West in 2010. She is now the MP for Leeds West and Pudsey.
Foreign Secretary – David Lammy
At 27, he became Parliament’s youngest MP when he was elected in Tottenham in 2000 before becoming a junior minister under Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
Born in north London, and became the first black Briton to study a masters in law at Harvard.
Has been on the sidelines and fringes of power for over two decades and is a serious campaigner.
Home Secretary – Yvette Cooper
A real political heavyweight that has been serving the labour party since 1997. She was elected MP for Yorkshire seat of Pontefract and Castleford and went to serve as the first female chief secretary to the Treasury and later as work and pensions secretary in the Labour government.
Married to the Strictly Come Dancing contestant Ed Balls and is one of the highest-ranking women in the Labour Party.
She is from a time of old Labour and her appointment is to satisfy Old Labour heads still in the party.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster – Pat McFadden
An unknown in the world but a real heavyweight in the party.
The party’s national campaign co-ordinator McFadden was one of the masterminds behind Labour’s historic victory and the one who ensured everyone distanced themselves from Jeremy Corbyn.
Born in Glasgow he has been elected to represent the Wolverhampton South East constituency since 2005.
Justice Secretary – Shabana Mahmood
As a Former barrister Shabana Mahmood has been confirmed as secretary of state for justice and Lord Chancellor. One of the few cabinet members qualified for a role with work experience.
The Birmingham Ladywood MP represents the city where she was born and bred and only the second woman, after Liz Truss, to hold the position.
Defence Secretary John Healey
Elected in 1997, he represents Wentworth and Dearne constituency in South Yorkshire. Healey served in Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown’s governments and in Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinets.
He voted in favour of UK participation in the Iraq War in 2003 and supported the coup that took down David Miliband.
Health Secretary – Wes Streeting
First elected to Parliament in 2015, but is an unknown partially because he was diagnosed with cancer in 2021.
Started life as a councillor and then was elected as an MP in Ilford North. And served in the shadow cabinet as the Health Secretary since November 2021.
Education Secretary – Bridget Phillipson
Raised in Sunderland by her mother, She had joined Labour aged 15 and became its MP for Houghton and Sunderland South in 2010, aged 26.
She has been a member of Sir Keir Starmer’s top team since he became Labour leader. Another low profile labour MP who hasn’t seen much media coverage. She will have to learn on the job on how to deal with the heavyweight Educational unions.
Energy Secretary – Ed Miliband
He is best known as a former Labour leader – having beaten his brother David, in the leadership contest that followed the party’s 2010 general election defeat.
Miliband has been the MP for Doncaster North since 2005 but has been at the centre of Labour politics for even longer, one of the few political heavyweights in the party.
This is one of the most important positions in parliament; competence is essential.
Work and Pensions Secretary – Liz Kendall
She rose to prominence when she stood in the leadership election that followed the 2015 election defeat, losing to Jeremy Corbyn and securing just 4.5% of the vote.
Her obscurity diminished with her defeat to Jeremy Corbyn. One of the key party members who supported the ousting of Jeremy Corbyn.
She is elected as MP for Leicester West.
Business and Trade Secretary – Jonathan Reynolds
Secretary of State for Business and Trade and President of the Board of Trade
Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary – Peter Kyle
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland – Hilary Benn
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
MP Leeds Central since 1999
Secretary of State for Scotland – Ian Murray
Secretary of State for Scotland
MP Edinburgh South
Secretary of State for Transport – Louise Haigh
Secretary of State for Transport
Sheffield Heeley MP
Secretary of State for Wales – Jo Stevens
Secretary of State for Wales
Cardiff East MP
Culture Secretary – Lisa Nandy
Culture, media and sport secretary.
MP for Wigan
Attorney General – Richard Hermer
Hermer is not an MP and will be given a life peerage to allow him to sit in the House of Lords. He is one of the members of Friends of Israel.
Richard Hermer KC is Attorney General – the chief legal adviser to the government – and will attend the cabinet meetings and working on the key priorities for government
Chief Whip Alan Campbell
Sir Alan Campbell will be the chief whip in the House of Commons and will attend the cabinet meetings. he has been involved in all key decision making especially the Discussions centred around The Labour Cabinet.
Sir Alan has been MP for Tynemouth since 1997.
He will be organising the key priorities for government, to ensure they last for more than 4 years in office.