A HOST of Scottish Labour loyalists – including a former Better Together chief and the wife of Keir Starmer’s top strategist – have been given jobs in the UK Government.
In a move that has been read as a consolidation of power within No 10, Keir Starmer has handed promotions to a series of allegiant MPs, rounding off a major government reshuffle sparked by the resignation of Angela Rayner as deputy prime minister and housing secretary.
MPs to be newly handed jobs in Starmer’s government include Imogen Walker – the MP for Hamilton and Clyde Valley who is married to Downing Street chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, Blair McDougall – the former director of the Better Together campaign, and Josh Simons – the former head of the Labour Together think tank who made headlines after saying that people smugglers should be put on a barge in “the north of Scotland, who cares?”.
Elsewhere, Starmer has handed a life peerage to failed Labour candidate Jason Stockwood – who lost the mayoral race in Greater Lincolnshire to Reform UK – in order for him to be a minister for investment. Poppy Gustafsson, whom Starmer gave a life peerage to take up the same role just 11 months ago, resigned from the Government.
The full list of Scottish Labour MPs handed new roles is:
- Imogen Walker is also now an Assistant Whip in the House of Commons
- Glasgow South West MP Zubir Ahmed has been made a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department of Health and Social Care
- East Renfrewshire MP Blair McDougall is now a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Business and Trade
- Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West MP Martin McCluskey has been made a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
- Livingston MP Gregor Poynton is now an Assistant Whip in the House of Commons
- Michael Shanks, former only an Energy Minister, is now also a Minister in the Department for Business and Trade and Department
- Ian Murray, sacked as Scottish secretary, is now a Minister of State jointly in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
- Douglas Alexander, formerly a joint minister, has been promoted to Scottish Secretary to replace Murray.
Elsewhere, Starmer has also promoted a host of other loyal MPs to Government roles. The full list of further changes is:
- Josh Simons has been made a Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office. Satvir Kaur, who is also a Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office, is on maternity leave. Simons will cover her.
- Alison Levitt, Starmer’s former top legal adviser during his time as director of public prosecutions, is now “Baroness Levitt” and a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Justice.
- Ellie Reeves, the sister of Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Labour Party chair, has been made Solicitor General.
- Keir Mather MP has become a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Transport.
- Jake Richards MP is now a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Justice and as Assistant Whip, House of Commons.
- Lilian Greenwood MP has become Vice-Chamberlain of HM Household (Government Whip).
- Nesil Caliskan MP is Comptroller of HM Household (Government Whip).
- Nic Dakin MP is now Junior Lord of the Treasury (Government Whip).
- Christian Wakeford MP has been made Junior Lord of the Treasury (Government Whip).
- Stephen Morgan MP is now a Junior Lord of the Treasury (Government Whip).
- Claire Hughes MP is also a Junior Lord of the Treasury (Government Whip).
- Mark Ferguson MP has been made an Assistant Whip, House of Commons.
- Jade Botterill MP is also an Assistant Whip, House of Commons.
- Deirdre Costigan MP has also been made an Assistant Whip, House of Commons.
- Ray Collins, the “Lord Collins of Highbury”, is now a Lord in Waiting (Government Whip) and will remain as Deputy Leader of the House of Lords.
- Chris Elmore MP is now Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
- Josh MacAlister MP has been made Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Education.
- Olivia Bailey MP has been made Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and Minister for Equalities in the Department for Education.
- Kate Dearden MP is now a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Business and Trade.
- Kanishka Narayan MP has become a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
- Anna McMorrin MP is now Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Wales Office.
- Matthew Patrick MP has been made Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Northern Ireland Office.
- Katie White MP is a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
- Chris Ward MP is made a Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office.
- Seema Malhotra MP has become a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, but will also remain as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Equalities) in the Department for Education.
- Mike Tapp MP has become a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Home Office.
- Louise Sandher-Jones MP is made a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Defence.
- Miatta Fahnbulleh MP has become a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
- Samantha Dixon MP has been made a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
- Anna Turley MP is now a Minister of State in the Cabinet Office (Minister without Portfolio) and will attend Cabinet.
- Alex Norris MP is now a Minister of State in the Home Office.
- Chris Bryant MP has become a Minister of State in the Department for Business and Trade.
- Luke Pollard MP has become a Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence.
- Georgia Gould MP has become a Minister of State in the Department for Education.
- Lucy Rigby MP is now Parliamentary Secretary (Economic Secretary to the Treasury) in HM Treasury.
- Jason Stockwood has been made a life peer and will work as a Minister of State (Minister for Investment) jointly in the Department for Business and Trade and HM Treasury.
- Dan Jarvis MP is now a Minister of State in the Cabinet Office, and will remain Minister of State for the Home Office.
- Jacqui Smith, the “Baroness Smith of Malvern”, has been made a Minister of State (Minister for Skills) in the Department for Work and Pensions, and will remain Minister of State (Minister for Skills and Minister for Women and Equalities) in the Department for Education.
- Patrick Vallance, a life peer, has been made a Minister of State in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. He will remain Minister of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
- Alison McGovern MP is now a Minister of State in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
- Angela Eagle has become a Minister of State in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
- Diana Johnson MP is a Minister of State in the Department for Work and Pensions.
- Sarah Jones MP is a Minister of State for the Home Office.
The following have all left the UK Government and will no longer have a role in Keir Starmer’s government:
- Angela Rayner MP.
- Lucy Powell MP.
- Jim McMahon MP.
- Daniel Zeichner MP.
- Maria Eagle MP.
- Catherine McKinnell MP.
- Abena Oppong-Asare MP.
- Catherine West MP.
- Frederick Ponsonby, the “Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede”.
- Wajid Khan, the “Lord Khan of Burnley”.
- Janet Daby MP
- Maggie Jones, the “Baroness Jones of Whitchurch”.
- Justin Madders MP.
- Gareth Thomas MP.
- Feryal Clark MP.
- Fleur Anderson MP.
- Nia Griffith MP.
- Mike Kane MP.
- Kerry McCarthy MP.
- Jeff Smith MP.
- Gerald Jones MP.
The sweeping ministerial changes come after Starmer reorganised his Cabinet on Friday following Rayner’s resignation.
Major changes saw David Lammy removed as foreign secretary and demoted to Justice Secretary. However, he was also handed the Deputy Prime Minister position.
Pat McFadden, a close Starmer ally, was handed the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions brief, with reports suggesting that it signals a tough stance on welfare from the UK Government.
The full list of changes to the UK Government's Cabinet is:
- Yvette Cooper has been moved from home secretary and is now UK Foreign Secretary.
- David Lammy, losing his role in the "big four", has been removed as foreign secretary. He is now Justice Secretary, and has also been made Deputy Prime Minister.
- Shabana Mahmood has been taken off the justice brief and promoted to the position of Home Secretary.
- Pat McFadden, a close Starmer ally who had been the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, is now the Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). He will also oversee the skills portfolio from the Department for Education as part of a new "super ministry".
- Darren Jones will become the new Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. He remains Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister.
- Peter Kyle, who had been the technology secretary, is now the Business and Trade Secretary.
- Liz Kendall, who came under heavy fire after trying to push through cuts to disability benefits, has been handed the Technology Secretary position.
- Steve Reed, who had been at the head of Defra (environment, food and rural affairs), has been moved over to Housing Secretary, taking over from Rayner.
- Emma Reynolds takes over from Reed as Environment Secretary.
- Douglas Alexander was named Scottish Secretary, for the second time after previously holding the role in Tony Blair's government.
- Jonathan Reynolds, replaced as business secretary, becomes parliamentary secretary to the Treasury and the UK Government's chief whip.
- Alan Campbell takes over as Leader of the House of Commons. He is also the Lord President of the Council and will attend Cabinet.
