Sir Keir Starmer (Labour) will seek to draw a line under the row over Angela Rayner's tax affairs following Friday's wide-ranging reshuffle. The Prime Minister hopes to move past a difficult week as he prepares for Labour's party conference and the November Budget.
Rayner resigned as deputy prime minister, housing secretary and deputy Labour leader following an official probe into her admission that she did not pay enough stamp duty on a seaside home she bought earlier this year. Her sudden departure prompted the first major reshuffle of Starmer's premiership.
Major cabinet shake-up
The changes affected half the Cabinet, with Starmer sacking two ministers, promoting two and moving ten into different roles. David Lammy moved from the Foreign Office to become Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister.
Yvette Cooper replaced Lammy at the Foreign Office, while Shabana Mahmood moved from the Ministry of Justice to the Home Office. The reshuffle comes just four days after Starmer carried out a smaller shake-up of his Downing Street team, announcing that his Government was entering "phase two".
Sources suggested Friday's changes had given the Government a renewed sense of purpose. The timing allows Starmer to present a refreshed team ahead of key political milestones.
Mixed party reactions
Some Labour MPs have welcomed the changes, particularly praising the appointment of the "ruthless" Mahmood as Home Secretary. However, several MPs told PA news agency they had been rocked by Rayner's departure, saying they were "gutted" or "depressed" by the turn of events.
Starmer now faces the prospect of a party conference dominated by manoeuvring for the deputy leadership spot left vacant by Rayner. Few MPs were willing to discuss potential candidates for the contest, suggesting it was too soon after the reshuffle.
The election could prove tricky for the Prime Minister, with some already touting it as a factional battle and a referendum on his leadership. The centrist Labour First group warned its supporters that "the left of the party will already be mobilising for this contest, seeking to reclaim influence and steer the party away from the strategy that won us a landslide victory in 2024".
Left-wing Labour MP Richard Burgon has already cautioned against the race to replace the deputy leader becoming a "stitch-up". Labour's national executive committee is expected to meet on Monday to agree a timetable for the contest.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
