Keir Starmer handed his deputy Angela Rayner a major promotion on Sunday night after a day of fraught negotiations and power battles. Rayner will become shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and shadow secretary for the future of work, while retaining joint control over party matters as deputy leader.
The reshuffle was delayed for hours as Starmer's team sought to placate Rayner, who had been offered the social care brief—seen as a demotion—and fought for a more influential role. The standoff came after leaked plans to sack her as party chair triggered an outcry.
Rachel Reeves, a close Starmer ally, was promoted to shadow chancellor, a move likely to inflame tensions with Labour's left. Anneliese Dodds, the former shadow chancellor, will chair the party's policy review. Other changes include Alan Campbell as chief whip, Thangam Debbonaire as shadow leader of the Commons, Wes Streeting taking on child poverty, and Lucy Powell as shadow housing secretary.
An ally of Rayner criticised Starmer's office, saying they 'failed to articulate a vision' and tried to blame Rayner for poor local election results. Rayner tweeted that she would 'work tirelessly to reform our party' and reconnect with traditional heartlands. However, party sources expressed fury that the row overshadowed stronger Labour results elsewhere.
Starmer said the party must embrace change and focus on the priorities of the British people. The reshuffle also saw the sacking of chief whip Nick Brown, a veteran of both the Brown and Corbyn years, as Starmer moved to consolidate centrist control.
