Prime Minister Andy Burnham will chair his first Cabinet meeting today following a sweeping reshuffle that removed many allies of his predecessor, Keir Starmer, from the top table. The changes mark a significant shift in the government's direction, with new faces taking key roles.
Key Appointments and Returns
New Chancellor John Healey returns to the Cabinet just weeks after resigning as Defence Secretary. In his resignation, Healey launched a scathing attack on former Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Sir Keir Starmer, accusing the Treasury of failing to provide adequate defence funding. He now takes charge of the department he once criticised. Wes Streeting, who also quit last month in protest over Starmer's leadership, takes over Healey's former role as Defence Secretary.
Ed Miliband attends his first Cabinet meeting as Foreign Secretary, while Shabana Mahmood remains Home Secretary after unveiling sweeping asylum system changes. Yvette Cooper, who previously led the Home Office and Foreign Office, was moved to Health Secretary. Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Louise Haigh, and Education Secretary Lucy Powell are among those returning to Cabinet. New appointees include Burnham allies Anneliese Midgley and Energy Security Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh.
Departures and New Directions
This is the first Cabinet meeting since Labour came to power that excludes Rachel Reeves, David Lammy, Peter Kyle, Liz Kendall, Steve Reed, and Lord Richard Hermer. They were removed in one of Burnham's first acts as Prime Minister. In his inaugural speech outside No10, Burnham pledged to deliver the biggest changes in 40 years, stating: "Let us make this the moment when Britain starts to believe again, the moment we bring back hope."
Remaining in their posts are Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, and Pat McFadden, who continues to lead the Department for Work and Pensions.
Early Policy Actions
On his first day, Burnham said he would tackle rough sleeping, issuing "my first instruction to end rough sleeping in our country." Early Tuesday, the government announced an £850 million tax cut on energy bills, making them VAT-free from October 1 and saving households around £45. The move is funded partly by scrapping Starmer's digital ID project, estimated to cost £600 million a year over three years.
Burnham said: "I said I wanted to give people breathing space, and that's what I'm announcing on my second day as Prime Minister. We're taking immediate action to cut taxes on energy bills, put more money in people's pockets and bring back hope." Chancellor Healey added: "For too long, too many people have struggled with the cost of living. Today's energy tax cut will give families some breathing room on bills, and provide some reassurance this winter."
