In a significant shake-up of his top team, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has appointed David Lammy as the new Deputy Prime Minister following the resignation of Angela Rayner.
Rayner stepped down from her roles as Deputy PM, Housing Secretary, and Deputy Labour leader on Friday after an investigation by the PM’s ethics adviser found she breached the ministerial code. The probe centred on her failure to pay the correct amount of tax on the 2015 sale of her £800,000 flat in Hove, East Sussex.
While the adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, stated that Rayner had “acted with integrity,” he concluded that her failure to seek specific tax advice on the property constituted a breach. In her resignation statement, Rayner said she took “full responsibility” for the “error.”
Major Cabinet Reshuffle Underway
The Prime Minister has used the departure to initiate a wider reshuffle of his government, aiming to reset its agenda amid challenging poll numbers.
The key appointments so far include:
· David Lammy: Appointed Deputy Prime Minister while retaining his role as Justice Secretary.
· Yvette Cooper: Moves from Home Secretary to become Foreign Secretary.
· Shabana Mahmood: Promoted from Justice Secretary to Home Secretary. This marks the first time in UK history that all three great offices of state—Chancellor, Home Secretary, and Foreign Secretary—are held by women (Rachel Reeves remains Chancellor).
· Steve Reed: Takes over Rayner’s former brief as Housing Secretary, moving from Environment Secretary.
· Pat McFadden: Becomes Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in a newly configured department.
· Peter Kyle: Appointed as the new Business Secretary.
Other Departures and Reactions
The reshuffle has also seen other senior figures leave the government. Ian Murray has been removed from his post as Scottish Secretary, a move that has caused discontent within Scottish Labour ranks given his long service as the party’s sole Scottish MP for several years. Lucy Powell, the Leader of the House of Commons, has also left her role.
In a statement, Prime Minister Starmer told Rayner she had been a “trusted colleague and a true friend.” However, opposition parties were quick to criticise the government’s reset. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey urged Starmer to “confront the real issues” instead of moving people “around the cabinet table.”
Rayner is the fifth minister to leave Starmer’s government due to personal controversies since the election just over a year ago. The Prime Minister will hope this reshuffle stabilises his administration and allows it to focus on its domestic policy agenda.
