BURNHAM SHAKES UP CABINET – Following his ascension as Britain’s new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham unveiled major appointments FS
Following his ascension as Britain’s new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham has unveiled a heavily restructured cabinet, appointing John Healey as Chancellor of the Exchequer and moving Ed Miliband to lead the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Louise Haigh has taken on the prominent roles of First Secretary of State, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and Minister for the Cabinet Office, while Angela Rayner returns to the top team as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. Several key ministers retained their portfolios, including Shabana Mahmood at the Home Department, Pat McFadden at Work and Pensions, and Bridget Phillipson as Minister for Women and Equalities.
The sweeping changes also introduce new faces to key departmental briefs, with Miatta Fahnbulleh taking charge of Energy Security and Net Zero, Wes Streeting moving to Defence, and Alex Norris stepping in as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice.
Additionally, junior ministers such as Kanishka Narayan (Artificial Intelligence) and Hamish Falconer (Intergovernmental and European Relations) have been elevated to attend cabinet meetings, signaling a fresh approach to cross-departmental policy coordination.
The leadership reshuffle resulted in several high-profile exits from the government under Keir Starmer’s previous administration. Notable figures leaving their posts include former Chancellor Rachel Reeves, former Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, and former Business Secretary Peter Kyle, alongside Darren Jones, Nick Thomas-Symonds, Steve Reed, Liz Kendall, Hilary Benn, Lord Hermer, and Jo Stevens.
