Sir Keir Starmer will announce his cabinet this afternoon. Here’s a rundown of who was in key posts when the Labour party was in opposition.
Rachel Reeves, who was shadow chancellor before Labour’s historic victory on Friday, has spoken of her “very close working relationship” with Starmer and is seen as being trusted by the new prime minister to concentrate on the nation’s economic policy. The 45-year-old former Bank of England economist entered the House of Commons in 2010.
Angela Rayner was deputy leader in Starmer’s shadow cabinet. The 44-year-old Mancunian, who entered politics in 2015 after working for trade union Unison, is generally viewed as a left-winger. Rayner has walked into Downing St and will be confirmed as the deputy prime minister at the start of Starmer selecting his first cabinet.
David Lammy, shadow foreign secretary and MP for Tottenham, has been in the spotlight as Labour has come under scrutiny from some voters over its policy on Gaza. The 51-year-old was first elected as a member of parliament in 2000.
Yvette Cooper, who ran to be Labour leader in 2015, was the party’s shadow home secretary. In her role, she has been a constant critic of the Conservatives’ immigration policy, and particularly the party’s Rwanda scheme — calling it a “con”. The 55-year-old politician, who entered parliament in 1997, has joined Starmer in promising that the Labour party will bring immigration down.
Wes Streeting was secretary of health and social care in Starmer’s shadow cabinet. The 41-year-old was first elected to parliament in 2015 after serving as shadow minister for Schools and Child Poverty.
Ed Miliband, 54, the shadow secretary of energy security and net zero, served as leader of the Labour party from 2010 to 2015, after several secretary stints in the government. He was first elected as MP for Doncaster North in 2005.
John Healey, Labour’s shadow defence secretary, is expected to be given the defence portfolio. He plans to launch a year-long review of the UK’s military capabilities.
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