International Politics

UK – Labour is reeling from Keir Starmer’s explosive reshuffle with allies openly admitting it was a recognition the government was failing.

The PM is turning his attention to the junior ministerial ranks after pulling the pin on a huge Cabinet overhaul yesterday in the wake of Angela Rayner’s resignation over her tax affairs.

Yvette Cooper was shifted from the key job of Home Secretary following a grim summer of protests over small boats and migrant hotels - to be replaced by harder-line Shabana Mahmood.

David Lammy was moved from the other great Office of State of Foreign Secretary to take over from Mahmood at Justice, although he was given the consolation prize of Rayner’s old deputy PM title.

A swathe of other senior ministers switched briefs as Sir Keir tried to rewire his team - although only two new names were added to the Cabinet. 

The PM’s enforcer Darren Jones toured broadcast studios this morning insisting that it was ‘normal’ for governments to have a shake-up at this stage. 

However, ex-Cabinet Minister Lord Falconer, a long-time supporter of the premier, said Sir Keir knew he had to apply an ‘electric charge’ rather than simply making tweaks. 

“The reason it was much wider was because there was a profound understanding by the PM that things need to change and they need to change urgently,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

‘You cannot avoid the proposition that we have not connected appropriately with the public.’

The Labour peer pointed to Nigel Farage’s claim at Reform conference in Birmingham yesterday that the PM could be forced to call a general election by 2027. 

“I don’t think that’s right, but if we haven’t got a sense of direction that connects quite quickly then we are in problems I think,” Lord Falconer said.

The extraordinary scale of the changes sent Westminster into shock, after briefing that there would only be limited tweaks below Cabinet level this month. 

Labour is reeling from Keir Starmer’s explosive reshuffle with allies openly admitting it was a recognition the government was failing. (Pic: Politico.eu/Adrian Dennis)