Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has defended his decision to appoint former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and former deputy Labour leader Baroness Harriet Harman to new government roles, describing the moves as "future-looking" despite recent electoral setbacks for his party. The appointments see two prominent figures from the last Labour government taking on unpaid, part-time positions following a challenging period for the party in Welsh, Scottish, and English council elections.
Brown's Role as Special Envoy on Global Finance
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown will serve as Starmer's special envoy on global finance. His remit includes fostering international co-operation on critical issues such as the economy and defence, particularly as the UK prepares to assume the presidency of the G20 group of leading industrialised nations next year. Addressing questions about bringing back "blasts from the past," Sir Keir told broadcasters: "For Gordon obviously, one of the big challenges we face is global finance. The war in Iran is causing real problems, economic impact. We need more spending on defence and security, that needs to come together around international mechanisms and Gordon's got a track record on that, and so that is building the strong economy of the future."
Harman's Appointment as Adviser on Women and Girls
Baroness Harriet Harman has been appointed as the Prime Minister's adviser on women and girls. Her role will involve working with ministers to tackle violence against women and girls, improve job prospects, and increase representation in parliament and public life. She is also tasked with collaborating with the head of the Civil Service to "drive a shift in culture" across government departments. Sir Keir emphasised the forward-looking nature of her role, saying: "I want women to have the opportunities that they deserve. I want to be able to tackle misogyny, I've made commitments on this and Harriet working with the team is the absolutely right person to do that. So it's very future-looking, because this is about making sure that every woman has the opportunities that she deserves."
Criticism from Reform UK Leader
The appointments drew criticism from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, whose party made significant gains in the recent elections. He mocked the Prime Minister, stating: "An unpopular prime minister who lost a general election is now seen by Starmer as being the saviour. Labour are doomed." Both Mr Brown and Lady Harman met with Sir Keir at No 10 ahead of their appointments being formally announced.
