As the newly elected MPs began to arrive in Westminster this week and the new Labour Government’s ministerial appointments mostly completed, we take a look at who will be making the crucial decisions to turn manifesto pledges into a reality.
335 new MPs have arrived to be inducted this week, a record for any intake so far, with an additional 15 returning having lost their seats or stood down previously. This Parliament sees a record 263 women and 90 minority ethnic MPs, as well as a record number of LGBT MPs. This increased diversity and intersectionality on the green benches will likely see fundamental changes in the questions asked and the lines of accountability brought to government.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle was re-elected Speaker of the House of Commons. The countdown is now on to the King’s Speech on the 17th of July, which will allow Parliament to resume its duties. Sir Lindsay Hoyle also read a statement from the Leader of the House of Commons, Lucy Powell, confirming that the House will rise for summer recess on Tuesday the 30th of July.
In one of the first departmental changes, Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP outlined that the term Levelling Up will now be erased from job titles, saying that:
“No more gimmicks and slogans, but the hard yards of governing in the national interest.
“The department I lead will be the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.”
Ms Rayner’s X account now reads: “Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.”
The new Cabinet
Sir Kier Starmer as Prime Minister.
Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP as Secretary of State for Housing and Communities and Local Government. She will also be Deputy Prime Minister. Her immediate priorities include devolution and establishing Local Growth Plans, regional inequality (replacing Levelling Up), and local infrastructure, outlining how derelict land and some green belt are the focus for improving local infrastructure offerings. Her immediate challenges must tackle affordable housing, improving the railways, and supporting failing local councils.
Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Her immediate priorities are the Plan for Growth, focusing on planning reform and reversing blockades to building in Britain, as well as establishing a new National Wealth Fund, with a remit to invest in new and growing industries. She also intends to simplify ISAs and pensions, and deliver a budget before Parliament’s summer recess. Her immediate challenges are focused on fiscal rules and investment (only borrowing to invest within existing fiscal rules), fixing public services and establishing the publicly owned Great British Energy, tasked with reducing energy bills.
Rt Hon David Lammy MP as Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs. The minister’s priorities are our relationship with Europe where he is seeking a joint declaration with the EU on
a security pact covering defence, energy, climate, pandemics and migration. Also, he must look at the war in Gaza and the safe development of AI and technology to help boost growth. His immediate challenges will include the US Presidential election, how to build a relationship with a possible Trump administration, and how to lead on the climate change challenge.
Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP as Secretary of State for the Home Department. Her immediate priorities will include an audit of monies sent to Kigali under the ‘Rwanda scheme’, a 100-day review of security threats, including on issues such as Russia and Iran, as well as the use of AI by hostile actors, and appointing 13,000 new police officers. The immediate challenges will be tackling illegal migration with the scrapping of the Rwanda scheme, restoring public confidence in the police, and returning law and order.
Steve Reed OBE MP as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The five main priorities of his department include:
- Cleaning up British rivers, lakes and seas
- Creating a roadmap to move Britain to a zero-waste economy
- Supporting farmers to boost Britain’s food security
- Ensuring nature’s recovery
- Protecting communities from flooding
He has already met with the heads of water companies in England and Wales to discuss measures to reform the water sector. Following the publication of Ofwat’s draft determinations on water company prices (on July 11), which say that the average water bill in England and Wales is set to rise by £94 over the next five years, a further meeting will also take place.
Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Shabana Mahmood MP as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
Rt Hon John Healey MP as Secretary of State for Defence
Jonathan Reynolds MP as Secretary of State for Business and Trade and President of the Board of Trade
Liz Kendall MP as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Louise Haigh MP as Secretary of State for Transport
Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Ian Murray MP as Secretary of State for Scotland
Peter Kyle MP as Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
Bridget Phillipson MP as Secretary of State for Education
Richard Hermer KC as Attorney General
Rt Hon Sir Alan Campbell MP as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)
Darren Jones MP as Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Basildon as Lord Privy Seal, and Leader of the House of Lords
Lucy Powell MP as Lord President of the Council, and Leader of the House of Commons
Jo Stevens MP as Secretary of State for Wales
Anneliese Dodds MP as a Minister of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and as a Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities) in the Department for Education
Other appointments to some of the key government departments include:
Department for Business and Trade
Jonathan Reynolds MP, Secretary of State for Business and Trade
Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP as a Minister of State
Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State
Justin Madders MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Gareth Thomas MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Baroness (Maggie) Jones, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP as Secretary of State
Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State (also Minister of State for Business and Trade)
Lord (Philip) Hunt MP, Minister of State
Kerry McCarthy MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Michael Shanks MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Miatta Fahnbulleh MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Steve Reed MP, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Daniel Zeichner MP, Minister of State
Emma Hardy MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Baroness (Sue) Hayman MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government (official name change expected soon)
Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, Secretary of State for Housing and Communities and Local Government
Matthew Pennycook MP, Minister of State
Jim McMahon MP, Minister of State
Alex Norris MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Rushanara Ali MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Baroness (Sharon) Taylor, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Lord (Wajid) Khan, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
The Treasury
Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer
Darren Jones MP, Chief Secretary
Lord (Spencer) Livermore, Financial Secretary
James Murray MP, Parliamentary Secretary (Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury)
Tulip Siddiq MP, Parliamentary Secretary (Economic Secretary to the Treasury and City Minister)
Emma Reynolds MP, Parliamentary Secretary
Department for Health and Social Care
Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Karin Smyth MP, Minister of State
Stephen Kinnock MP, Minister of State
Andrew Gwynne MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Baroness (Gillian) Merron, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Home Office
Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP, Home Secretary
Dan Jarvis MP, Minister of State
Angela Eagle MP, Minister of State
Dianna Johnson MP, Minister of State
David Hanson MP, Minister of State
Seema Malhotra MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Jess Philips MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Culture, Media and Sport
Lisa Nandy MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Chris Bryant MP, Minister of State
Stephanie Peacock MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Education
Bridget Phillipson MP, Secretary of State for Education
Rt Hon Jacqui Smith, Minister of State
Anneliese Dodds MP, Minister for Women and Equalities
Catherin McKinnell MP, Minister of State
Stephen Morgan MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Janet Daby MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
David Lammy MP, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
Stephen Doughty, Minister of State
Catherine West MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Lord (Ray) Collins, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Ministry of Defence
John Healey MP, Secretary of State for Defence
Lord (Vernon) Coaker, Minister of State
Maria Eagle, Minister of State
Luke Pollard MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Alistair Cairns MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Veterans)
Ministry of Justice
Shabana Mahmood MP, Secretary of State for Justice
James Timpson MP, Minister for Prisons, Parole and Probation
Heidi Alexander MP, Minister of State
Alex Davies-Jones MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Science, Innovation and Technology
Peter Kyle MP, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
Patrick Vallance MP, Minister for Science
Chris Bryant MP, Minister of State
Feryal Clark MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Baroness (Maggie) Jones, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Transport
Louise Haigh MP, Secretary of State for Transport
Lord (Peter) Hendy MP, Minister of State
Simon Lightwood MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Lillian Greenwood MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Mike Kane MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Work and Pensions
Liz Kendall MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Alison McGovern, Minister of State
Stephen Timms MP, Minister of State
Emma Reynolds MP, Parliamentary Secretary
Andrew Western MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Baroness (Maeve) Sherlock, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
The BMA will continue to provide updates from the key government departments as their priorities become clearer.