Angela Rayner, Labour's deputy leader, has been appointed shadow levelling up secretary and is set to become deputy prime minister if the party wins the next general election. The move was part of a long-awaited shadow cabinet reshuffle by leader Keir Starmer.
Lisa Nandy, who previously held the levelling up brief, was demoted to international development. Meanwhile, Jonathan Ashworth was replaced as shadow work and pensions secretary by Liz Kendall, a former Blair-era aide who ran for the party leadership in 2015.
The reshuffle saw several MPs from the Blairite wing promoted, including Pat McFadden as shadow Cabinet Office minister and national campaigns coordinator, and Peter Kyle as shadow science secretary. Starmer described the new team as a 'strong team on the pitch' following efforts to change the party.
Some Labour moderates expressed discomfort over what they termed a 'Blairite takeover', while the hard-left group Momentum criticised the changes as 'a further narrowing behind a Blairite agenda'. Sue Gray, Starmer's new chief of staff, played a key role in negotiations, particularly with Rayner over her retaining responsibility for Labour's new deal for working people.
Other senior figures, including Rachel Reeves and Yvette Cooper, retained their roles. Shabana Mahmood replaced Steve Reed as shadow justice secretary, and Thangam Debbonaire took over from Lucy Powell as shadow culture secretary, with Powell moving to shadow Commons leader. Hilary Benn replaced Peter Kyle as shadow Northern Ireland secretary.
