Starmer wields knife in unruly reshuffle

Sir Keir Starmer has reshuffled Labour’s top team in a late-night attempt to reset the party, after disappointing election results and the demotion of Angela Rayner triggered bitter infighting.

Seven senior roles switched, including that of Anneliese Dodds, who was removed as shadow chancellor following criticism that she had not done enough to cut through to voters.

The reshuffle was delayed because of wrangling between Starmer and Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, whose removal as party chair and national campaign coordinator on Saturday sparked widespread anger within the party.

Rayner now holds the lengthy title of deputy leader, shadow first secretary of state, shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and shadow secretary of state for the future of work. As such, she is the equivalent of deputy prime minister in Starmer’s new team, and will shadow Michael Gove.

On Twitter, she said she would “work tirelessly to reform our party” to “show that the Labour Party speaks for the working class”.

Other notable moves include Rachel Reeves, who was promoted to shadow chancellor from her role as shadow minister for the cabinet office and chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Reeves said she was honoured to take on the job, tweeting: “Our economic recovery must be fair. We must transform lives and back businesses in every part of our country.”

Veteran chief whip Nick Brown, who had held the role under Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Jeremy Corbyn and then Starmer, was replaced by Alan Campbell, who has held the role of deputy chief whip for the past decade.

Valerie Vaz, shadow leader of the House of Commons, was also removed, while Wes Streeting, a rising star on the moderate wing of the party, was promoted to the newly created position of shadow secretary of state for child poverty.

Starmer’s new shadow cabinet has 33 members in total, up from 27 before the reshuffle. There are 23 cabinet ministers in Boris Johnson’s top team, plus a further four who attend meetings.

The Labour leader said he had faith in his “refreshed and renewed team”. In a statement, he said: “The Labour party must be the party that embraces the demand for change across our country,” adding: “Just as the pandemic has changed what is possible and what is necessary, so Labour must change too.”

The cabinet reshuffle moves in full:

Angela Rayner, Shadow First Secretary of State, shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Secretary of State for the Future of Work.

Rachel Reeves, Shadow Chancellor

Anneliese Dodds, Labour Party chairwoman

Alan Campbell, Chief Whip

Thangam Debbonaire, Shadow Leader of the Commons

Shabana Mahmood, Campaign Coordinator

Lucy Powell, Shadow Housing Secretary

Wes Streeting, Shadow Child Poverty Secretary