Continuity and Experience: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer Unveils His New Cabinet with Familiar Faces

The latest lineup: Unveiling Sir Keir Starmer's key players

In forming his recent cabinet, the Labour leader has chosen to maintain continuity, with most ministers retaining the roles they held prior to the election.

Friday, July 5, 2024, 8:

Following his overwhelming electoral win, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has unveiled the majority of his new cabinet members just hours after assuming office.

Here are the appointees of the new prime minister:

Angela Rayner

Ms. Rayner has served as the deputy to Sir Keir Starmer since his election as the leader of the Labour Party in 2020.

She has also been appointed as the secretary for levelling up, a position she previously held in a shadow capacity.

Growing up in a public housing development in Stockport, Greater Manchester, she became a mother at 16. She attributes her ability to avoid a dead-end life to the support she received from New Labour's Sure Start program.

She started her career as a caregiver, later becoming a leader in a labor union before transitioning into the realm of political party activity

At the beginning of the year, she was scrutinized regarding the sale of her council house; however, both the police and tax officials determined that there were no illegal activities involved.

Discover more about her by clicking here

Rachel Reeves

Ms. Reeves was employed at the Bank of England and subsequently at HBOS prior to being elected to Parliament in 2010.

Growing up in Lewisham, south London during her teenage years, she clinched the title at the British under-14 chess championship before pursuing her studies at Oxford.

She claims she rejected a position at Goldman Sachs, even though it would have significantly increased her wealth.

Ms. Reeves assumed the role of shadow chancellor in May 2021, and together with Sir Keir, she has been instrumental in reforming Labour's connections with the business sector, emphasizing the need for financial prudence. Her sister, Ellie Reeves, also serves as a Labour MP.

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Profile: Yvette

Ms. Cooper and her husband, Ed Balls, each have a history with New Labour, serving in several ministerial positions during the administrations of Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

Ms. Cooper held several high-ranking positions such as the chief secretary to the Treasury, secretary of state for work and pensions, and minister for health and housing. During her tenure at the Department of Health, she became the first UK minister to take maternity leave.

She contested the Labour Party leadership in 2016, finishing behind Jeremy Corbyn and Andy Burnham, who secured the first and second places respectively.

Discover more about her at this link

David Lammy

Mr. Lammy has served as the Member of Parliament for Tottenham, his childhood home, since 2000, following a by-election prompted by the passing of Labour's Bernie Grant.

He became the first Black British individual to enroll at Harvard Law School, where he formed a friendship with Barack Obama.

During the New Labour era, he held the roles of minister for higher education and culture. Later, in a different context, he supported his colleague Jeremy Corbyn's bid for the party leadership in 2016.

Mr. Lammy has extensively covered the 2011 London riots that started in his district. Additionally, he has criticized Oxford University for its low admission rates of black and ethnic minority students.

Discover more about him by clicking this link.

Pat McFadden

Mr. McFadden, who served during Blair's tenure, has become a prominent member of Sir Keir's core team. In his capacity as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, he will play a pivotal role in central government coordination and will be tasked with key decision-making responsibilities.

He stands out as one of the rare members of the current administration with prior governmental experience. During Gordon Brown's tenure, he held positions as the parliamentary under-secretary at the Cabinet Office and subsequently as a minister in the business department.

Shabana Mahmood

In 2010, Ms Mahmood made history by being elected as the first Muslim woman to serve in the House of Commons.

She entered the world in her Birmingham district, a place where her father would eventually rise to the position of chairman for the local Labour Party. The initial seven years of her life, however, were spent in Saudi Arabia due to her father's job as a civil engineer.

She remained with the Labour Party even when Sir Tony Blair supported the Iraq invasion, later campaigning to succeed her local MP. She has frequently voiced her concerns regarding Sir Keir Starmer's handling of the Gaza crisis.

Profile: Wes Streeting

Wes Streeting secured his position in the closely contested Ilford North constituency by a margin of only 589 votes in 2015, after previously holding the role of deputy leader on the local council.

He grew up in a public housing complex in East London. Both of his mother's parents served prison sentences, with his grandmother spending time incarcerated alongside Christine Keeler.

Mr. Streeting has openly criticized Jeremy Corbyn and has faced backlash for his stance on NHS policies, which he praises for playing a crucial role in his recovery from kidney cancer.

Discover more about him by clicking this link.

Bridget Phillipson

Ms. Phillipson grew up on a council estate in the North East of England, where she mentioned in an interview that she faced bullying due to her poverty.

Following her mother's decision to sign her up for a weekend acting class, she landed a minor role on the BBC children's series Byker Grove.

Prior to her political career, she ran the women's shelter founded by her mother during her school years.

After her election in 2010, she was appointed as the shadow education secretary in 2011, where she advocated for the expansion of school breakfast programs and aimed to dismantle barriers in social mobility for the youth via educational reforms.

Discover more about her by clicking this link.

Ed Miliband

Since 2005, Mr. Miliband has represented Doncaster North as an MP and has been a significant figure in the Labour Party.

He served as a key advisor to Gordon Brown during his tenure as Chancellor, while his brother, David, was employed by Sir Tony.

In 2010, he won the leadership of the Labour Party after a contentious battle against his brother. He held the position until 2015, stepping down after the party suffered a defeat in the general election that year.

It is reported that he shares a strong personal bond with Sir Keir, having assisted him during his 2015 campaign to be elected as an MP.

Peter Kyle

Peter Kyle triumphed over significant challenges posed by intense dyslexia, going back to school at 25 and eventually earning a PhD in community economic development.

He served as the head of the select committee on business, energy, and industrial strategy and was involved in the public investigations into the failures of Carillion and Thomas Cook.

Prior to his political career, he was involved in humanitarian efforts in the Balkans, where he established an orphanage in Romania. Upon returning to the UK, he served as an adviser in the Cabinet Office, focusing on issues of social exclusion.

In 2012, he faced the heartbreaking loss of both his lifelong partner and his mother, who passed away within a day of each

Louise Haigh

Since 2015, Louise Haigh has served as an MP in her hometown of Sheffield.

Her grandfather and uncle both held positions as officials in trade unions.

Prior to her tenure as a Member of Parliament, she served as a coordinator in parliament and simultaneously volunteered as a special constable for the Metropolitan Police in Brixton, located in south London.

This positioned her to serve as the shadow policing minister under Jeremy Corbyn.

She previously supported the ex-Labour chief but now expresses regret over her choice, shifting her support to Andy Burnham, Lisa Nandy, and Jess Phillips in their respective leadership campaigns.

Liz Kendall

Liz Kendall finished in the final position during the 2015 Labour leadership race, which resulted in Jeremy Corbyn's election.

Prior to her election to parliament five years ago, she was employed by several research institutes and nonprofit organizations that specialize in health and social care, such as the Ambulance Service Network and the Maternity Alliance.

She moved between the realms of politics, offering guidance to former interim Labour leader Harriet Harman and past health secretary Patricia Hewitt.

Under Sir Keir's leadership, she has been responsible for the health and social care and pensions portfolios in the shadow cabinet.

She was romantically involved with comedian Greg Davies, apart from her

Jonathan Reynolds

Jonathan Reynolds initiated his political journey by serving as an aide to a Labour councillor in Stockport.

His dreams of pursuing a law career were temporarily shelved after he embraced fatherhood in his early 20s.

Following roles as a councillor and a parliamentary assistant, he successfully campaigned to succeed his employer, James Purnell MP, after Purnell declared his resignation.

He owns two dogs called Kennedy and Clinton, and his wife works alongside him as a senior parliamentary assistant.

John Healey

John Healey, a seasoned figure from the Blair era, was appointed as the parliamentary under-secretary of state for adult skills immediately following his election as an MP in 1997.

His father was awarded an OBE in recognition of his lifelong efforts to combat violence and aggression.

During the New Labour era, he held positions as financial secretary to the treasury, as well as minister for local government and housing.

He cast his vote supporting the UK's participation in the Iraq War and has traveled to Ukraine, pledging an unwavering commitment from the Labour Party. He has also upheld the former government's pledge to increase defense expenditure from slightly above 2% of GDP to 2.5% by 2030.

Steve Reed

Steve Reed, who previously led Lambeth Council, won a seat in the House of Commons during the 2012 by-election for Croydon North. This constituency was renamed to Streatham and Croydon North for this election.

He has occupied various positions within the shadow cabinet, such as shadow secretary for levelling up and shadow justice secretary, prior to his current appointment as the shadow secretary for the environment, a position he maintains in the cabinet.

Lisa Nandy

Lisa Nandy secured another term as the Member of Parliament for Wigan, a seat she has held since 2010.

Ms. Nandy competed with Sir Keir for the leadership of the Labour Party after Jeremy Corbyn stepped down due to the severe loss in the 2019 general election.

She has served in various positions within the shadow cabinet, such as the shadow secretary for international development and the shadow foreign secretary.

Ms Nandy has been named the new shadow culture secretary, taking over from Thangam Debbonaire who was defeated in Bristol Central by the Green Party.

Hilary Benn

Hilary Benn, whose father was the renowned leftist politician and activist Tony Benn, served in the administrations of Prime Ministers Harold Wilson and James Callaghan.

During his campaign for the by-election, he distinctly differentiated himself from his father by stating that he was a "Benn, not a Bennite."

He assumed the position of Northern Ireland secretary following his tenure as the head of the Commons Brexit committee, during which he played a significant role in managing the UK's exit from the EU and the related border challenges in Ireland.

He first joined the cabinet as the international development secretary under Prime Minister Blair in 2003, marking the beginning of his experience at this level.

Ian Murray

Ian Murray grew up in a council estate just outside Edinburgh. He cites the inaction of his local MP, Thatcher-era minister Malcolm Rifkind, regarding the mold in his family's home as the catalyst for his political career.

Following his tenure on the Edinburgh Council, he was voted into office as the MP for Edinburgh South in 2010, succeeding Nigel Griffith who stepped down amid a sex scandal.

He was one of the Labour Party MPs who stepped down from the shadow cabinet following the Brexit vote, and was a staunch opponent of Jeremy Corbyn.

He identifies as a longtime critic of the Trident nuclear initiative, which might make it challenging for him to align with Sir Keir Starmer's pledge to uphold the program.

In the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, he cast his vote for Scotland to stay within the United Kingdom and noted experiencing hostility from supporters of the 'yes' campaign.

Jo Stevens

Jo Stevens held the position of shadow secretary for Wales during the leadership tenures of both Jeremy Corbyn and Sir Keir Starmer.

Her departure from Corbyn's team occurred when he enforced a strict directive to support the government's EU withdrawal legislation, a move she stated she could not follow due to her strong pro-European convictions.

She primarily supports unionism and opposes the decentralization of matters like law enforcement and gender identity policies.

Prior to the election campaign, her office was damaged following her decision to abstain from voting on the ceasefire in Gaza.

Lucy Powell

In 2012, Lucy Powell broke new ground by becoming the first woman to serve as a Member of Parliament for a Manchester constituency, following her victory in the Manchester Central by-election.

She assumes the position of Leader of the Commons, tasked with advancing Sir Keir's legislative program in the Commons and ensuring MPs are informed about upcoming activities and discussions in the Commons Chamber.

In her earlier career, she served as the shadow education secretary under Jeremy Corbyn and later as the shadow culture secretary when Sir Keir Starmer was in leadership.

Darren Jones

Since his election to parliament in 2017, Darren Jones has quickly gained recognition as a promising newcomer within the Labour Party.

Originally from his district in Bristol, he served in the NHS prior to pursuing a career in law.

He unsuccessfully attempted to enter parliament in 2010 and subsequently became a dedicated member of the union.

Throughout his campaign, he has attracted attention on social media for his straightforward posts discussing his political experiences. A disclosed audio clip captured him stating that Labour's net-zero initiatives would require "hundreds of billions" in funding, prompting the party to issue clarifications.

Beyond his regular employment, he passionately engages in vegan cooking and enjoys playing the saxophone.

Title: Lord Alan

Sir Alan Campbell, a dedicated member of the Labour Party, has been representing the Tynemouth constituency since his initial election in 1997.

He also brings a background in government, previously holding a position as a minister in the Home Office during Mr. Brown's tenure.

He continues in his position as chief whip, tasked with maintaining party discipline and managing the whipping process, which involves making sure that MPs are present for votes and adhere to the party leadership's directives.

Richard Hermer KC

Richard Hermer is a well-known attorney specializing in human rights law at Matrix Chambers.

He takes on the position of attorney general, serving as the primary legal counsel for the government.

He takes over from Emily Thornberry, who had been in the position since November 2021.

It was anticipated that Emily Thornberry, who has held the position of shadow attorney general since 2021, would secure the role.

During the election campaign, Ms. Thornberry faced backlash from the Conservatives for her assertion that the termination of tax benefits for private schools would lead to increased class sizes in public schools.

Mr. Hermer is not a Member of Parliament, and as such, he will be granted a peerage to join the House of Lords to fulfill his duties.

Lady Smith from Basildon

Baroness Smith represented Basildon as an MP from 1997 to 2010 and was the parliamentary private secretary to Mr. Brown during his tenure as prime minister.

After losing her South Basildon and East Thurrock seat to the Conservative party in 2010, she was soon appointed to the House of Lords.

Since 2015, she has held the position of leader of the Opposition in the Lords, a role that will now be assumed by her counterpart in the government.

As the leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Smith will head the government's side in the upper house and oversee government affairs.

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