As February comes to an end No10 is shoring up plans for a reshuffle to keep Starmer in power for as long as possible. Guido reported extensively on these intentions back at the beginning of the month…
It is still early doors because Gorton & Denton and the May elections have not yet taken place. The extent of the hit Starmer takes from those will decide the outcome of whatever reshuffle efforts – or indeed lead to a Labour regicide…
After internally discussing whether to sack Wes Streeting as a one-off three weeks ago Downing Street sources say reshuffle plans include a removal of the ambitious leadership contender, a “disloyal and disruptive” minister who has to be “tackled” – a senior Labour source adds: “We need someone at Health who isn’t thinking about personal ambition.”
There is no current plan for ministerial moves prior to May or just after Gorton & Denton. If Starmer is strong enough No10 staff plan to move left in terms of appointments but avoid giving the soft left a go at the Treasury. That means retaining Reeves or replacing her with compromise candidate to satisfy left-wing bloodlust. Markets, markets, markets…
A Downing Street source said the shape of a reshuffle “depends on how febrile it is after May.” A Labour wipeout would leave Starmer with little leverage…
Much also depends on new Cabinet Secretary Antonia Romeo, who survived a blob-led campaign against her appointment. Downing Street now regards her as safe. As Guido has tracked across many months it is the Cabinet Office which is failing on numerous cylinders. The clock is ticking to fix that one…
Amid the Mandelson blow up, discussions are underway in Downing Street with regard to Starmer’s political future. Including a reshuffle post-May elections…
The aim is to placate the Parliamentary Labour Party/soft left. No10 insiders are pricing in an attempt to bring Angela Rayner back into the fold to help on that. Starmer extended an olive branch in public on Monday. Two things could stymie that attempt: the timeline of HMRC’s investigation into her tax affairs, and her actual willingness to take on the job. As Guido’s Labour Wars column pointed out on Monday, Rayner will need to know that she has a secure post-Starmer future before heading back in…
Faith held in the new Labour backbench intake, comparatively large numbers of whom were promoted into government in 2024, has fallen away. Older intakes have never been rated highly by Starmer’s operation. That leaves one clear option – recruit more from outside. A Downing Street source says moves to “refresh or add a few more lords like Patrick Vallance” who can “get stuff done” are being discussed. A shake-up could also attempt to resolve issues in the Cabinet Office like moving the top team along or even removing the Cabinet Secretary himself…
There is gossip too about Cabinet moves. Spin the wheel…
Discussions are underway about moving David Lammy on from the MoJ. One senior government source tells Guido he is “singularly unable to grip the MoJ and won’t deal with a very poor top team of officials.” A SpAd clearout under Lammy is ongoing – longtimer Ben Judah is gone and there were discussions about other senior exits. Sources close to the Justice Secretary speculate that Lammy could simply retain the DPM role. His love of luxury trappings and foreign travel is a running joke in Whitehall…
There are whispers now at the heart of SW1 about the huge red lever labelled ‘eject Rachel Reeves.’ It would be seismic…
Spin from both the Treasury and Downing Street in the run up to the last Budget sought to tie Starmer and Reeves’ fates together. Now the Budget is a few stops back – tempora mutantur…
A Downing Street source tells Guido there is “increasing speculation that Reeves has become moveable now we’ve gone beyond the Budget.” Another senior Labour source said: “Who has the PLP blamed most frequently for the shambles so far? Reeves.” A third government source added that the Chancellor is diminished – her absence from the China trip is a hot topic in SW1 – and increasingly battered by No10 on major policy fights. Think, farming, business rates, and about ten others in the last six months…
More difficult is trying to demote or sack Miliband, who would cause far too much trouble. Downing Street has long speculated that Ed fancies himself a go with the red box…
Guido hears this will be a major reshuffle. Updates below…
- Chris Elmore MP as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
- Satvir Kaur MP as Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office.
- Josh Simons MP as Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office.
- Josh MacAlister OBE MP as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Education.
- Olivia Bailey MP as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Education.
- Blair McDougall MP as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Business and Trade.
- Kate Dearden MP as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Business and Trade.
- Kanishka Narayan MP as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
- Anna McMorrin MP as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Wales Office.
- Matthew Patrick MP as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Northern Ireland Office.
- Katie White OBE MP as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero.
- Janet Daby MP, Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, Justin Madders MP, Gareth Thomas MP, Feryal Clark MP, Fleur Anderson MP, and Dame Nia Griffith DBE MP have left the Government.
- Satvir Kaur MP is currently on maternity leave. Josh Simons MP will serve as Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office as maternity cover.
- Sunday’s appointments above.
- Rt Hon Ian Murray MP as Minister of State jointly in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
- Chris Ward MP as Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office
- Seema Malhotra MP as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. She will remain as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Equalities) in the Department for Education
- Mike Tapp MP as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Home Department
- Louise Jones MP as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Defence
- Baroness Levitt KC as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Justice
- Miatta Fahnbulleh MP as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
- Samantha Dixon MP as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
- Dr Zubir Ahmed MP as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department of Health and Social Care
- Abena Oppong-Asare MP, Catherine West MP, Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede, and Lord Khan of Burnley have left the Government.
- Anna Turley MP as Minister of State in the Cabinet Office (Minister without Portfolio). She will attend Cabinet
- Alex Norris MP as Minister of State in the Home Department
- Sir Chris Bryant MP as Minister of State in the Department for Business and Trade
- Luke Pollard MP as Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence
- Georgia Gould MP as Minister of State in the Department for Education
- Rt Hon Ellie Reeves MP as Solicitor General
- Lucy Rigby MP as Parliamentary Secretary (Economic Secretary to the Treasury) in HM Treasury
- Maria Eagle MP and Catherine McKinnell MP have left the Government
- Junior ministers there…
- Jason Stockwood as Minister of State (Minister for Investment) jointly in the Department for Business and Trade and HM Treasury
- Dan Jarvis MP as Minister of State in the Cabinet Office. He will remain Minister of State for the Home Department
- Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Malvern as Minister of State (Minister for Skills) in the Department for Work and Pensions. She will remain Minister of State (Minister for Skills and Minister for Women and Equalities) in the Department for Education. More work for Jacqui…
- Lord Vallance KCB as 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
- Michael Shanks MP as Minister of State jointly in the Department for Business and Trade and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
- Alison McGovern MP as Minister of State in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
- Dame Angela Eagle DBE MP as Minister of State in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson DBE MP as Minister of State in the Department for Work and Pensions
- Sarah Jones MP as Minister of State for the Home Department
- Baroness Gustafsson CBE, Jim McMahon MP, and Daniel Zeichner MP have left the Government.
- That’s Cabinet done.
- Darren Jones is Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. He will remain Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister.
- Douglas Alexander is Secretary of State for Scotland
- Jonathan Reynolds MP as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip). He is a member of Cabinet…
- Alan Campbell MP as Lord President of the Council, and Leader of the House of Commons. He will attend Cabinet…
- Emma Reynolds MP as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Liz Kendall now Science and Technology Secretary.
- Peter Kyle becomes Business Secretary.
- Steve Reed becomes Housing Secretary.
- Pat McFadden becomes new Work and Pensions Secretary with extra briefs in a new department.
- David Lammy will be Deputy PM and Justice Secretary.
- Shabana Mahmood will become Home Secretary.
- Yvette Cooper has been appointed Foreign Secretary. Despite the fact Lammy was guaranteed to stay in that post till the next election..
- Ian Murray has left post as Scottish Secretary.
- Lucy Powell is out as Leader of the Commons.
- Downing Street has briefed that Reeves is safe to calm the bond markets.
Starmer is pitching this latest Downing Street reset as a “bolstering” of his operation: “The return of parliament marks a new term and a ramping up of the next phase of this government’s domestic agenda– relentless delivery on our Plan for Change.” Guido’s Starmer reset counter just pinged…
- September 2020: Starmer used a ‘new leadership’ slogan to try and relaunch his leadership.
- January 2021: Starmer used another speech to launch the slogan ‘Secure, Protect, Rebuild’
- February 2021: Starmer launched his ‘New Chapter for Britain’ with a ‘policy blitz’.
- June 2021: Labour changed slogan to ‘Stronger Together’.
- September 2021: Starmer wrote a 14,000 word ‘mission statement’ with no new policies in an attempt to ‘reset’ his leadership.
- December 2021: Starmer claimed that after a year and a half of leadership, he would be setting out his ‘ideas’ to ‘build a new Britain’ throughout 2022.
- January 2022: A year after ‘secure, protect, rebuild’, Starmer reset his leadership with a ‘security, prosperity, respect’ slogan.
- April 2022: Starmer relaunched his leadership with a new slogan, ‘On your side’.
- June 2022: Labour confirmed another ‘policy blitz’ after their failed ‘blitz’ in 2021.
- January 2023: Starmer used a speech to reset his leadership and pitch himself as the ‘candidate of optimism.’
- February 2023: Starmer set out his own Five Missions for Britain.
- March 2023: Starmer launched his local elections campaign with his twelfth slogan: ‘Build a better Britain’.
- May 2023: Starmer set out his plan to reform the Labour Party, going ‘further and deeper than New Labour’s rewriting of clause iv’.
- October 2023: Starmer changed his Five Missions for Britain – ditching his commitment to the highest growth in the G7 to ‘get Britain building again’.
- January 2024: Starmer used his new year speech to pitch the general election as a chance to ‘turn the page, lift the weight off our shoulders, unite as a country, and get out future back’.
- May 2024: Starmer relaunched Tony Blair’s 1997-style pledge card.
- July 2024: Starmer changed Labour’s primary mission again to ‘securing economic growth’.
- October 2024: Starmer was forced into relaunching his Number 10 operation following the resignation of Sue Gray.
- December 2024: Starmer delivers his “Plan for Change”.
- March 2025: Big pitch on reforming Whitehall with programme to scrap quangos and reform way civil servants work.
- May 2025: “Securing Our Borders” reset and new slogan on immigration policy.
- July 2025: Cabinet away day seeks to reset the tone of government, fails.
- September 2025: Downing Street reset.
Tim Allan is Starmer’s fourth communications director in five years. Hint: it’s not the communications…
Dan Tomlinson has been appointed exchequer secretary in this morning’s reshuffle. He is the latest disciple of the Resolution Foundation (RF) to enter government, following Budget Man Bell and Starmer’s new economics guru Minouche Shafik. Tomlinson spent seven years at the Resolution Foundation between 2015 and 2022, eventually becoming ‘senior economist’. He was also a key figure in the RF’s ‘Economy 2030 Inquiry’. A report stuffed to the gills with recommended tax hikes…
Here are just a few. There are plenty more…
- Cut the VAT registration threshold to £50,000 then £30,000.
- Create Road Duty for EVs.
- End free carbon permits & introduce carbon border adjustment.
- Encourage local congestion charges.
- Charge Capital Gains Tax on death and when moving out of UK.
- Scrap non-dom status.
- Hike national insurance for higher self-employed incomes by 300% to 8%.
- Hike basic rate of Dividend tax from 8.75% to 20%.
That report is now the blueprint for the government’s economic thinking heading into the omnishambles budget this autumn. The direction of travel from recent personnel changes is clear. Resolution Foundation devotees are sitting at the top table…
The focus is on Downing Street personnel instead of ministers ahead of a reshuffle penned in for Monday, Guido is told. SpAds are braced for a Morgan McSweeney autumn clean out…
Multiple sources say Political Director Claire Reynolds is up for the chop. Guido hears that other Downing Street political staff are feeling nervy. Insider sources say numerous personnel in the Policy Unit as well as Director of Communications (Delivery) Steph Driver are privately worried about being shuffled on…
Guido hears the feeling among some political staff is that Nin Pandit’s departure – which has bolstered the hated pen-pusher Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald – is not seen as enough. One Downing Street source tells Guido there are “no plans to tackle Wormald” and someone additional will be brought in – but that it “doesn’t seem likely that will be landed by Monday.”
With regard to that tongues are wagging in SW1 about the potential incoming appointment of Helen “Karaoke” MacNamara. Co-conspirators may remember MacNamara – former Propriety and Ethics director and subsequent deputy Cabinet Secretary. She has been personally pushing for the formation of a new Downing Street department with its own permanent secretary. A widely held view is that partygate has tarred her excessively. Guido hears Helen still has fans inside government…
The shuffle is being managed by numerous staff with competing recommendations to Starmer, hence the stop-and-start announcements. This is life with “the grown ups back in charge”…
UPDATE: Ministerial reshuffle delayed.
