Keir Starmer appoints cabinet after landslide general election victory (2024)

Keir Starmer appoints cabinet after landslide general election victory (1)Image source, PA Media

Sam Francis

Political reporter

  • Published

Sir Keir Starmer's new cabinet will meet for the first time on Saturday - the first full day of Labour being in power.

Rachel Reeves is the UK's first female chancellor, while Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is also among a record 11 women in the team of 25.

Sir Keir appointed his cabinet on Friday after Labour's landslide election win, and in his first speech as prime minister said the work of change "begins immediately".

Speaking at Downing Street, he also promised to restore trust in politics with a "government of service".

The cabinet meeting will focus on what Labour calls its "first steps" which include - among other things - economic stability, cutting NHS waiting lists and tackling illegal immigration.

David Lammy has become the foreign secretary while Yvette Cooper is home secretary.

Speaking outside No 10 after being appointed prime minister by the King at Buckingham Palace, Sir Keir pledged: "My government will serve you, politics can be a force for good.

"The work of change begins immediately, but have no doubt, we will rebuild Britain."

In his farewell speech outside No 10, Rishi Sunak apologised to Tory candidates and told the public: “I have heard your anger, your disappointment."

Labour won 412 seats - giving the party a majority of 174 in the new House of Commons. The Conservatives were reduced to a record low for them of 121 MPs, a net fall of 251.

The Liberal Democrats made 63 gains, giving them 71 seats. The SNP suffered a severe defeat, losing 38 seats to stand on nine with one constituency still to declare.

Reform UK won five seats, include leader Nigel Farage's in Clacton, with the Greens increasing their number of MPs from one to four. Plaid Cymru doubled its number of MPs from two to four.

Within hours of becoming prime minister, Sir Keir's appointments to his top team came thick and fast. He is expected to announce more ministerial roles.

Image source, Reuters

Alongside her role as Sir Keir's deputy, Ms Rayner will take control of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

A significant majority of the cabinet were state educated - with only three attending private schools.

The other two veterans of the last Labour government are Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband, and Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn.

Mr Lammy also served as a minister in the last Labour government alongside Pat McFadden, who takes over the Cabinet Office, and Defence Secretary John Healey.

All cabinet members supported Remain in the 2016 EU referendum. Ahead of the election, Sir Keir ruled out the UK rejoining the EU single market in his lifetime.

Sir Keir spent his first few hours as prime minister receiving calls of congratulations from world leaders.

US President Joe Biden told Sir Keir he looked forward to "further strengthening the special relationship" with the UK, according to the White House and Downing Street.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a social media post: "I am grateful to Prime Minister Starmer for reaffirming the UK's principled and unwavering support for Ukraine."

Meanwhile, Sir Keir and Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris committed themselves "to reset and strengthen" Anglo-Irish relations "with urgency and ambition", the Irish government said.

Image source, PA Media

The new cabinet includes some unexpected appointments.

Richard Hermer is attorney general, rather than Emily Thornberry who had shadowed the role.

Mr Hermer, a friend of Sir Keir's from when he was a barrister, will receive a life peerage to allow him to sit in the House of Lords and attend cabinet.

Some members of Sir Keir's shadow cabinet have not yet been given new positions - including Ms Thornberry, shadow women and equalities secretary and party chairwoman Anneliese Dodds, and shadow minister without portfolio Nick Thomas-Symonds.

A peerage has been given to former government chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance to become a science minister in the new government.

James Timpson has also received a peerage and appointed prisons minister.

He is current CEO of the Timpson Group, which has a policy of employing ex-offenders across its UK watch and shoe repair chain.

Neither Lord Vallance nor Lord Timpson will attend cabinet, the BBC understands.

Ms Reeves as chancellor is the first woman to hold the second most important role in government in the office's 708-year history.

She said: "To every young girl and woman reading this, let today show that there should be no limits on your ambitions."

Ms Reeves told her new team of Treasury officials she was "under no illusions of the scale of challenges we face".

Image source, Reuters

Mr Lammy posted on social media that being appointed foreign secretary was "the honour of my life".

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Lammy said his first priorities were "a reset on Europe, a reset on our relationships with the global south and a reset on climate".

Some of Sir Keir's key allies lost their seats, including Jonathan Ashworth in Leicester South, beaten by independent candidate Shockat Adam, who campaigned against Mr Ashworth's stance on the war in Gaza. .

Former shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire lost to Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer in Bristol Central

After surviving a challenge from a pro-Gaza independent in Birmingham Ladywood, Shabana Mahmood has been appointed justice secretary.

Alastair Campbell, ex-No 10 spin doctor under Tony Blair, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think what's really interesting about the last 24 hours... people are saying when they saw that cabinet walking up Downing Street - just the feeling of change... of a new set of people who look more like us and sound like the rest of the country, and who have been very clear about what the priorities are."

The Cabinet team announced are:

  • Sir Keir Starmer - Prime Minister

  • Angela Rayner - Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

  • Rachel Reeves - Chancellor of the Exchequer

  • Pat McFadden - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

  • David Lammy - Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs

  • Yvette Cooper - Secretary of State for the Home Department

  • John Healey - Secretary of State for Defence

  • Shabana Mahmood - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

  • Wes Streeting - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

  • Bridget Phillipson - Secretary of State for Education

  • Ed Miliband - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero

  • Liz Kendall - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

  • Jonathan Reynolds - Secretary of State for Business and Trade

  • Peter Kyle - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology

  • Louise Haigh - Secretary of State for Transport

  • Steve Reed - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

  • Lisa Nandy - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

  • Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

  • Ian Murray - Secretary of State for Scotland

  • Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

  • Lucy Powell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons

  • Baroness Smith - Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords

  • Alan Campbell - Chief Whip in the House of Commons

  • Darren Jones - Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury

  • Richard Hermer KC - Attorney General

Image source, Reuters

Mr Sunak has pledged to remain party leader until arrangements for selecting his successor were in place.

Penny Mordaunt - the former leader of the Commons and twice a candidate to be prime minister - lost her Portsmouth North seat, as did ex-cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg.

One key reason for the Conservatives' results was increased support for Reform UK - who won 14.3% of the vote, propelling party leader Nigel Farage into Parliament for the first time, alongside four other Reform MPs.

The Liberal Democrats meanwhile have become the third largest in the Commons.

The Greens recorded their best general election performance yet with 6.8% of the vote across Great Britain.

Related Topics

  • Angela Rayner
  • Rachel Reeves
  • Keir Starmer
  • Yvette Cooper
  • David Lammy
  • General election 2024
  • Labour Party
Keir Starmer appoints cabinet after landslide general election victory (2024)

FAQs

Who has Keir Starmer appointed? ›

Starmer has appointed two select committee chairs from the previous parliament, Diana Johnson and Stephen Timms, as mid-ranking ministers in the departments they used to scrutinise, the Home Office and DWP.

What did Keir Starmer get his knighthood for? ›

Sir Keir Starmer — a title he rarely uses himself — was awarded a knighthood in 2014 for his work as head of the CPS and director of Public Prosecutions; a tradition for those in this role. His services for “law and criminal justice” were cited as reasons for the honour.

Who is Starmers' cabinet? ›

Yvette Cooper was confirmed as Home Secretary, returning to government after holding posts under Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. John Healey is the new Defence Secretary. Wes Streeting was confirmed as Health Secretary, while Shabana Mahmood is the new Justice Secretary.

What religion is Keir Starmer? ›

Starmer is an atheist, but has said that he "does believe in faith", and its power to bring people together. His wife, Victoria Alexander, is Jewish, and their two children are brought up in Jewish faith.

Who does Keir Starmer support? ›

In foreign policy, Starmer has supported Ukraine in its war against Russia and Israel in its war against Hamas, but has also called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip since February 2024, after previously declining to call for one.

Did Keir Starmer have a party? ›

Is Keir Starmer's wife a lady? ›

Victoria, Lady Starmer (née Alexander; born 1973 or 1974) is an English Solicitor who is the wife of Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and leader of the Labour Party. She previously worked as a solicitor and currently works for the National Health Service (NHS) as an occupational health worker.

Which leader renounced his knighthood? ›

Rabindranath Tagore renounced his knighthood following the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. This event was also one of the key factors motivating Gandhi to launch the Non-Cooperation Movement.

Who is the new PM of England? ›

Current role holder

Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister on 5 July 2024. He was elected as the member for Holborn and St Pancras in May 2015.

Who's in the new cabinet? ›

Keir Starmer's cabinet
  • Keir Starmer. Prime Minister @Keir_Starmer. ...
  • Angela Rayner. Deputy Prime Minister @AngelaRayner. ...
  • Rachel Reeves. Chancellor @RachelReevesMP. ...
  • David Lammy. Foreign Secretary @davidlammy. ...
  • Yvette Cooper. Home Secretary @YvetteCooperMP. ...
  • Pat McFadden. ...
  • Shabana Mahmood. ...
  • John Healey.
Jul 5, 2024

Who is in the new Shadow cabinet? ›

November 2021 – September 2023
PortfolioShadow Minister
Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and CommunitiesLisa Nandy
Shadow Secretary of State for TransportLouise Haigh
Shadow Secretary of State for Northern IrelandPeter Kyle
Shadow Secretary of State for ScotlandIan Murray
30 more rows

Who makes up the shadow cabinet? ›

It consists of a senior group of opposition spokespeople who, under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition, form an alternative cabinet to that of the government, and whose members shadow or mirror the positions of each individual member of the Cabinet.

Has Sir Keir Starmer been married before? ›

Is Starmer an English name? ›

Starmer is a surname. It is an English habitational surname.

How many years was Tony Blair Prime Minister? ›

Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair KG (born 6 May 1953) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He was Leader of the Opposition from 1994 to 1997 and held various shadow cabinet posts from 1987 to 1994.

Is Keir Starmer still an MP? ›

Sir Keir Starmer is the Labour MP for Holborn and St Pancras, and has been an MP continually since 7 May 2015. He currently holds the Government post of Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury. In addition, he is Leader of the Labour Party.

Who was the Leader of the Labour Party before Keir Starmer? ›

Leaders of the Labour Party (1906–present)
No.Leader (birth–death)Left office
17Ed Miliband (b. 1969)8 May 2015
Harriet Harman (b. 1950) (acting: 2nd time)12 September 2015
18Jeremy Corbyn (b. 1949)4 April 2020
19Sir Keir Starmer (b. 1962)Incumbent
50 more rows

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