Andy Burnham has become Prime Minister and immediately carried out a major Cabinet reshuffle, dismissing several ministers who served under his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer. The Makerfield MP took office on Monday, vowing to deliver the most significant political and economic transformation in four decades.
Key appointments and dismissals
Incoming Chancellor of the Exchequer is John Healey, while Louise Haigh becomes Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Ed Miliband takes on the role of Foreign Secretary, and Shabana Mahmood is appointed Home Secretary. These appointments mark a clear break from the Starmer era.
Among those sacked are David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Steve Reed, Peter Kyle, Lord Hermer, Liz Kendall, Jo Stevens, Darren Jones, Baroness Chapman, Hilary Benn, and Nick Thomas-Symonds. The sweeping changes signal Burnham’s intent to reshape the government’s direction.
Burnham's vision for change
In his first address as Prime Minister, Burnham promised to bring “life’s essentials back under stronger public control” to make them more affordable. He acknowledged public disillusionment with politics, stating: “I know people at home are fed up with politics. I hear you, and I want to be honest with you. We have not been good enough, and we need to be better. We will be.”
He added: “We will make this moment a circuit-breaker for Britain, bringing forward the biggest changes in the last 40 years. A new political model and a new economic model.”
