Newly appointed Prime Minister Andy Burnham swiftly removed most of Sir Keir Starmer's Cabinet, retaining only three ministers, as he brought Angela Rayner back into government as Housing Secretary. The dramatic reshuffle, announced hours after Burnham took office, saw Rachel Reeves, Britain's first female Chancellor, become the biggest casualty.
Key Appointments and Departures
Former defence secretary John Healey replaced Reeves as Chancellor, while Ed Miliband became Foreign Secretary. Shabana Mahmood remained Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper moved to Health Secretary, and Pat McFadden stayed as Work and Pensions Secretary. Louise Haigh was appointed First Secretary of State and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
Deputy PM David Lammy, Housing Secretary Steve Reed, Business Secretary Peter Kyle, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, and Attorney General Lord Hermer all lost their jobs. Reeves reportedly declined an offer to become Defence Secretary but pledged to support the new government, writing on X: "I wish the very best of luck to my successor, Andy and his cabinet. You have my full support."
New Faces in Cabinet
Wes Streeting was appointed Defence Secretary, Alex Norris became Justice Secretary, Dame Angela Eagle took over as Environment Secretary, and Miatta Fahnbulleh was named Energy Secretary. Bridget Phillipson remained in Cabinet as Minister for Women and Equalities but lost her education portfolio, while Lisa Nandy stayed as Culture Secretary.
Streeting had resigned from Starmer's government and was seen as a potential leadership candidate until he backed Burnham. The reshuffle follows Healey's resignation as defence secretary weeks earlier over a funding row. A Labour veteran noted Burnham could now tell Healey: "You wanted the money for defence? Great. Go find it."
Rayner's Return and Burnham's Vision
Angela Rayner returned to government 10 months after quitting Starmer's administration following a tearful admission she failed to pay correct stamp duty on a new flat. No10 sources said Burnham wanted an "experienced, trusted" figure for Chancellor, and Healey shared his outlook on economic stability, fiscal rules, reindustrialisation, and tackling the cost-of-living crisis.
In his first speech as PM, Burnham promised the biggest change to British politics in 40 years. Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram, who co-authored Burnham's book Head North, said: "He's been like a little brother to me, it's a brilliant moment. ... It's taken the learning from being a metro mayor and then putting that into practice."
Reactions and Support
Everton Football Club congratulated Burnham, posting: "A Toffee at No.10. Congratulations to Andy Burnham on becoming the UK's Prime Minister. A lifelong Evertonian, long-time Hillsborough Law campaigner, regular foodbanks donor and @EITC fundraiser." Canadian PM Mark Carney, also an Everton fan, said: "I look forward to working with Prime Minister Burnham to build greater security, stability, and prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic."
