Tag Archives: Politics

Rachel Reeves Sacked As Andy Burnham Axes Keir Starmer Loyalists In Brutal Reshuffle

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Rachel Reeves has been sacked as chancellor as Andy Burnham axed a raft of Keir Starmer loyalists from cabinet.

In a brutal reshuffle, the new prime minister also dumped David Lammy, Peter Kyle, Steve Reed, Lord Hermer and Liz Kendall.

They are expected to make way for key Burnham supporters, including Louise Haigh.

It is understood that she was offered “a big job” by Burnham but turned it down.

Announcing her departure on X, Reeves said it had been “the privilege of my life to serve as the Chancellor of the Exchequer”.

She said: “The economy today is stronger, fairer and more resilient because of the choices we have taken as a Labour government over the past two years.

“Stability restored, investment delivered and reform to our economy under way. I said when I was appointed chancellor that I would judge my time in office if the lives ordinary working class people have been improved. I’m proud to say that they have.

“And to every young woman and girl let my time in office show there should be no ceilings on your ambitions, your hopes or your dreams.

“I wish the very best of luck to my successor, Andy and his cabinet. You have my full support, and I will continue to play my part in helping this Labour government deliver the change the country needs.”

Lammy, who was Keir Starmer’s deputy PM as well as justice secretary, said he “would have been proud to continue serving” in the cabinet, but had been sacked.

He said: “A new prime minister is entitled to build his own team, and I wish Andy Burnham and the new cabinet every success.”

Housing secretary Steve Reed, one of Starmer’s staunchest defenders, said he was “disappointed to be leaving government now”.

Kyle, who was business secretary, was another Starmer ally ousted as Burnham’s draws up his own top team.

Lord Hermer, who was Starmer’s attorney general, also said it had been “the privilege of my life to serve my country”.

“I will continue to support this Labour government from the backbenches, as it delivers the change this country desperately needs,” he said on Bluesky.

“Andy and his team know they have my utmost support and I wish them nothing but success.”

This is a breaking news story and will be updated. Follow HuffPost UK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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Who Is In Andy Burnham’s Government – And Who Is Out?

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Andy Burnham has started to announce his ministerial picks on his first official day as prime minister.

The new PM is looking to draw a line in the sand between Keir Starmer’s government and his own, and so will likely root out those most closely linked to his predecessor.

However he has said he wants to run a more “collaborative” type of politics, suggesting he would be happy to have a range of ideologies in his top team.

Here’s what we know so far.

Cabinet Dismissals

Rachel Reeves has been sacked as the chancellor, having been closely tied to Starmer’s government and helped him enact any major economic policies.

She wrote on X: “I wish the very best of luck to my successor, Andy and his cabinet. You have my full support, and I will continue to play my part in helping this Labour government deliver the change the country needs.”

She was reportedly offered a role in Burnham’s government but turned it down.

Steve Reed was dismissed as housing and communities secretary, too.

He was loyal to Starmer to the very end so it is unsurprising he added a brutal parting shot for the new administration in his resignation letter.

The Labour MP wrote: “Keir Starmer showed loyalty to me by appointing me to his Cabinet. I make no apology for returning that loyalty. It’s what is expected of functioning teams, and I hope those who did not show loyalty to Keir will now show it to you.”

David Lammy was also kicked out of government after serving as deputy prime minister, justice secretary and previously his foreign secretary.

The Starmer loyalist wrote on X: “I would have been proud to continue serving in cabinet. But a new prime minister is entitled to build his own team, and I wish Andy Burnham and the new cabinet every success.”

Peter Kyle was also sacked as business secretary while Liz Kendall was fired as the work and pensions secretary.

Attorney General Lord Hermer and close friend to Starmer was kicked out, too, though he said the incoming government will have “my utmost support”.

The new prime minister is yet to confirm who he wants in his cabinet.

Wider Government

James Timpson, who was appointed to the Lords to serve as prisons and probation minister back in 2024, announced he was “retiring” today.

He spent longer in the post than anyone else appointed to the ministerial position over the last 15 years.

Science minster Patrick Vallance – and the government’s chief scientific adviser during the pandemic – quit on Monday morning, citing “personal reasons”.

It comes amid speculation the science department could be disbanded under Burnham.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates or follow HuffPost UK on X at @HuffPostUK or on Facebook.

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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Burnham Government To Scrap Starmer’s Plan For Digital ID Scheme

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Andy Burnham’s government intends to scrap Keir Starmer’s plan to implement digital ID, a close ally to the incoming prime minister has confirmed.

Dropping the controversial scheme is part of Burnham’s bid to put his own stamp on government and distance himself from his predecessor’s most divisive policies.

Starmer announced plans for a digital ID scheme last September to crack down on illegal working, but it sparked fears about whether personal data might then be at risk.

Speaking to Laura Kuenssberg on the BBC, deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell said scrapping the programme move would allow ministers to be “laser focused on the cost of living, laser focused on rewiring the economy, rewiring the political system in this country, and clearing the decks, if you like, from of all of the other things that might distract and take away from that in terms of the focus of the government”.

Asked how much money would now be freed up for other means, Powell said: “The OBR said it would cost, I think, £1.8 billion over the over the coming years.

“That’s not an insignificant amount of money. That will obviously be re-prioritised and redistributed in different ways.

“But as I say, it’s not just about the money.

“It’s actually about the attention and the focus, so that the the whole of government machinery can work in service of the agenda and the vision that the Labour government is setting out under under Andy Burnham, and I think that is important.”

She also claimed Burnham will deliver on the Labour manifesto by being “bolder” and “clearer” about what the party stands for.

Powell confirmed there would be a “change of emphasis” on North Sea oil and gas drilling under Burnham as well.

There has been widespread speculation that the new prime minister might issue new drilling licences to boost the UK’s energy security, even though the 2024 Labour manifesto pledged not to.

Though she did not confirm what Burnham intends to do on the divisive topic, Powell said the new PM would take a “more pragmatic approach” towards North Sea drilling.

Powell said: “We’ve been really clear that the way to achieve, in the long term, energy security and lower bills is by ensuring that we do have our our own homegrown, clean, much cheaper energy.

“But we’ve been absolutely clear that North Sea gas and oil is an important part of that transition.

“It’s an important part of the mix, and I think what Andy’s talking about is taking a more pragmatic approach and working with the industry to make sure that it can contribute to that transition and to the the mix that is needed over the long term.

“So let’s see what he’s got to say about that. But I don’t think it’s a change of policy. It’s more a change of emphasis.”

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Lucy Powell Attacks ‘Horrible’ Speculation Around Who Might Be In Andy Burnham’s Cabinet

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Lucy Powell has claimed speculation about Andy Burnham’s cabinet has been “horrible” in an attack on the media.

The deputy Labour leader blamed the press for reporting on the briefings coming from within the party about who might be in the incoming prime minister’s top team.

Burnham was confirmed as the leader of the Labour Party on Friday after running uncontested to replace Keir Starmer, and will be announced as prime minister on Monday.

He said last week he has not yet decided on his ministers because he thinks it would “cause complete chaos if you start half a reshuffle before you’re in position”.

His refusal to confirm who might be in his cabinet and at the heart of his government operation has led to widespread confusion – even though Burnham has pledged to make Labour more united and to stop in-fighting.

BBC presenter Laura Kuenssberg asked Powell, a close ally to Burnham, about the particularly mixed reports about whether energy secretary Ed Miliband might get a senior position.

The presenter said: “Burnham has promised to end factionalism in the Labour Party but there has been quite a lot of briefing already, a lot of briefing against Ed Miliband.

“It doesn’t bode, very well, does it, for Andy Burnham’s promise of ending all that unhappiness and in-fighting within the party?”

Powell replied: “There’s been a lot of speculation in the media about various individuals which has been really quite horrible, to be honest, and unedifying.

“I know that as political journalists, maybe you’ve not had the story of the Labour leadership crisis to write about for the last few weeks, because actually I’m really proud of the way in which the Labour Party has come together in a consensus around Andy Burnham being the next leader.”

She claimed the media is “looking for other personalities and other disagreements” to write about.

Kuenssberg hit back: “Journalists write about things they are told about.”

Jacob Rees-Mogg, former Tory minister, then criticised Powell’s response while sitting on Kuenssberg’s panel.

“Lucy Powell, an admirable person in many ways, was saying something she knows isn’t true at the end, when she said these stories are coming from disgruntled journalists because they didn’t have a big enough story to write,” he said.

Rees-Mogg added that reporters “do not make things up” and only write “what they are given by politicians”.

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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Boris Johnson Slams Reform UK For ‘Not Doing A Bean’ To Get Brexit Over The Line

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Boris Johnson has hit out at Reform UK for consistently taking credit for getting Brexit over the line.

The former Conservative prime minister, who campaigned in the 2019 general election on the promise to “get Brexit done”, claimed Nigel Farage’s party did not do a “bean” towards actually securing our EU exit.

Both Johnson and Farage were part of the Leave movement in the run-up to and shortly after EU referendum in 2016, though on different campaigns – the then-Tory MP Johnson was in Vote Leave while Farage led Leave.EU.

Farage and his party Reform UK – formerly the Brexit Party – have consistently attacked Johnson’s legacy after migration soared once the UK left the EU.

Sky News presenter Trevor Phillips asked Johnson on Sunday: “Are you at all embarrassed by the way that Reform and others are using the term ‘Boriswave’?

“Because it is true that net migration, for better or worse, has been higher as a consequence of decisions you took than any time in our history.”

Johnson said Brexit gave the UK power to “control immigration”.

He continued: “We have the power under Brexit, and under Brexit, which I secured and which those people didn’t – they didn’t even exist!”

“They did not have a single MP,” he said, referring to Reform UK. “They did not do a bean to get Brexit through the House of Commons. Not a bean.

“ And they swank around claiming to have been responsible for it.

“They did, they did nothing to deliver Brexit.

“The hard Brexit I went through the House of Commons I want to move, enables us, enables this country not only to have as few people because we want overall, but also under our laws, to decide who comes from where.”

Reform UK spokesman hit back at that criticism, telling HuffPost UK: “Boris only had his majority because we put country before party in 2019.

“Boris then broke Britain so badly that the Conservatives haven’t led a single opinion poll since.”

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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Liz Truss Breaks The Irony Metre By Predicting Andy Burnham Will Cause ‘Financial Crisis’

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Liz Truss has predicted that Andy Burnham will lead Britain into a “financial crisis” in a moment which feels like pure satire.

The former Conservative prime minister famously planned to implement £45 billion of unfunded tax cuts which sent the pound into decline and the markets into turmoil.

The Bank of England even had to step in and buy £65 billion worth of government bonds to prevent disaster.

The chaos unleashed by her mini-Budget meant Tory MPs quickly pushed Truss out of office after just 49 days – making her the UK’s shortest-serving prime minister in history.

However, speaking at CPAC GB – a right-wing conference which is a spin-off of its American counterpart – Truss has predicted that the incoming PM Burnham would send the UK into “financial crisis”.

According to the Mirror, she said: “The money’s going to run out. I think the problems with migration are going to get worse and the general decay and stagnation of Britain is going to continue.

“I think the question is how long the pro-progressive authorities can continue.

“My prediction is that there will be another prime minister before 2029.”

Burnham was announced as the Labour leader on Friday and is set to become the next prime minister on Monday when Keir Starmer hands over the keys.

There is some trepidation about his plans for the economy amid fears he could push public spending hikes.

Truss’s words also come after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned Burnham this week that the UK is still struggling with the scars left behind by Truss’s mini-budget of 2022.

Four years on, and gilt markets are still nervous about the UK fiscal policy than previously, and according to the IMF, there has been a “regime change” on bond markets as a result.

Truss also told the conference: “We’ve had seven prime ministers in ten years.”

She added: “That’s the equivalent of a crap football team changing its manager all the time but not changing what happens on the pitch.”

It seems to have escaped her attention that five of those seven prime ministers have been Conservative – and she was one of them.

Truss also tried to call for right-wing figures to join her “counter-revolution” rather than going for jobs outside of politics.

“It’s time for successful people in Britain who actually care about the future of our country to step up. To stop being such cowards because at the moment they’re being cowards,” she said.

Truss lost her seat to the Labour Party at the 2024 general election.

According to the Mirror, barely a third of the 500-seat hall was occupied for her appearance at CPAC GB.

Burnham’s team has been approached for comment.

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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‘We’re Going To Give Them Hope Back’: Andy Burnham Officially Becomes Labour Leader

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Andy Burnham has officially been crowned as the leader of the Labour Party, meaning he is days away from being de facto prime minister.

The Makerfield MP will have to wait until Monday to formally take over from Keir Starmer in No.10, as a quirk in the rules means he could not take both titles on the same day.

Burnham ran uncontested to be the next leader of the largest party in the Commons with the support of more than 350 of Labour’s 403 MPs.

In his first speech as Labour leader, he promised he would help to give Brits “hope back”.

He said his supporters “heard the call from the people of Makerfield on behalf of forgotten places everywhere, up and down this country, for a return of the Labour they once knew”.

He added: “And now we answer that call. We will be that version of Labour again.”

Burnham, who has run three times to lead the party, promised he is “ready” to lead Labour now after his nine-year stint as Greater Manchester mayor.

He also praised Starmer for making the party electable after its shocking defeat in the 2019 general election.

He then began to outline what changes he wants to implement, promising: “Change starts with honesty.

“We must recognise that this generation of politicians, myself included, have failed to challenge a political culture and an economic model that simply doesn’t work well enough for ordinary people.

“Four decades of neoliberalism that began in the 1980s have not been kind to the places that built our party, nor to the communities across the UK in rural and coastal areas. So we pledge today to them to be better.”

He added that the public has given his party a “last chance” to implement change – and that he will take the country in a direction which is “distinctively Labour”.

Burnham made five promises to improve the party, too.

He said he would work to build a “new politics”, change Labour’s “political direction”, be a leader for the entirety of the UK, take power back from Westminster and Whitehall and work to stop Labour in-fighting.

Burnham has had a rapid ascent to Downing Street in recent months.

Support for the then-Greater Manchester mayor started to rise as Starmer’s successor after the party’s disastrous performance in the May elections in England, Scotland and Wales.

However, as he did not have a seat in the Commons, Burnham was not able to challenge Starmer’s premiership.

So Josh Simons, Makerfield MP, stood aside to trigger a by-election and give Burnham a chance to return to the Commons.

His comfortable victory over Reform UK last month only strengthened calls for Starmer to step down.

The prime minister subsequently resigned and Labour MPs rushed to endorse Burnham.

There is still plenty of mystery around what Burnham intends to do in office as he avoided any major press conferences and is yet to announce who he wants in his cabinet.

But he insisted today that he “has a plan” and that he will “not change”, staying loyal to his style.

“I have listened and learned as I have gone along, you’ll be pleased to know. And hopefully I’ve got better as a result,” Burnham said. “You can be sure of this: I know what I believe after 25 years as an elected Labour representative, and I know what I want to do with you all. I have a plan.

“What I also want you to know is I won’t change. I have a style and it’s my style. I will always stay close to the ground, close to the people.”

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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Zelenskyy Admits He Is ‘Afraid Of Changes’ As Starmer Prepares To Stand Down

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Volodymyr Zelenskyy has admitted he is “afraid of changes” as Keir Starmer prepares to step down as prime minister.

The outgoing PM has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russia throughout his two years in office.

He recalled how he proudly welcomed Zelenskyy to the UK in February 2025 after the Ukrainian leader was ambushed by the Trump administration and kicked out of the Oval Office.

Starmer has chosen to travel to the beleaguered country and remind Kyiv of the UK’s ongoing backing with just four days left in the job before Andy Burnham is given the keys to No.10.

Zelenskyy told the press during Starmer’s visit that he is “afraid of changes” with the UK PM set to step down and French president Emmanuel Macron expected to leave office next year.

He said: “Of course I’m afraid of changes, of course we are afraid because we are in the war each day.

“But again the priority is the relation between nations, not just between just people. I’m sure that these relations will not change, or we have to do our best not to lose such very good relations.”

“I hope we will never lose strong relations with the UK during or after the war.”

Starmer replied: “You won’t.”

Zelenskyy said he hopes to build “new strong relations” with the next prime minister and that he wants to have a meeting with Burnham “as soon as possible”.

Zelensky also awarded Starmer the Order of Freedom honour, which is Ukraine’s highest award for a foreign person.

Starmer shook Zelenskyy’s hand and said the award was “completely unexpected” and “very meaningful”, adding: “it really means a huge amount.”

A Downing Street spokesperson said the PM was “grateful and deeply humbled to receive the Order of Freedom for outstanding merit, the highest honour that can be given in Ukraine to anyone from another country”.

It is the second major honour the outgoing prime minister received this week for his work on the international stage.

He was unexpectedly awarded Légion d’honneur by French president Emmanuel Macron, becoming the first UK PM to ever receive the historic honour.

It was awarded in recognition of Starmer’s work in setting up the Coalition of the Willing, the group of countries chaired by France and the UK meant to help Ukraine.

On social media, Starmer wrote: “I’ve visited Ukraine four times as Prime Minister, and I’ve seen first-hand the devastation caused by Russia’s invasion. The UK’s support for Ukraine will never waver.

“That’s why we’re funding fighter jets for Ukraine, strengthening their ability to defend themselves while supporting thousands of skilled jobs in the UK. So good to see you again my friend, [Zelenskyy].”

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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Tears For Keir? Emotions Run High As Starmer Bows Out With Final PMQs

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Keir Starmer’s final appearance in the House of Commons as prime minister left multiple supporters looking rather emotional.

The PM stood in the Chamber for his last prime minister’s questions on Wednesday afternoon and exchanged friendly barbs with the leader of the opposition, Kemi Badenoch.

Right behind him, his ally and chancellor Rachel Reeves – who is widely expected to lose her job under Starmer’s successor Andy Burnham – looked downtrodden and on the cusp of tears.

And the final question of the session went to a close friend of the prime minister’s, Labour MP Carolyn Harris, who struggled to hold back her emotions while singing Starmer’s praises.

She said few had believed he could make the necessary changes to Labour when Starmer became party leader in 2020.

“But today, because of his service and his leadership, children are growing up in a fairer Britain. We stand tall on the world stage. And every day we’ve seen his decency and his courage shine through,” she said, as her voice broke.

The prime minister, on the other hand, seemed completely composed as he thanked Harris for her friendship.

He closed out his last session from the despatch box as PM by saying: “Every prime minister knows when they take up the torch that the day will come when they have to pass it on. That day has come for me.

“This is the end of my political journey.

“In six years, we went from historic defeat in 2019 to historic victory in 2024, and in two years in government I leave the country in better shape than I found it.

I’m proud of everything that we have achieved.”

He added: “To all those in the gallery, whose lives have been changed or improved by this Labour government, and all across the country who struggle to be seen or heard, you’re the reason I came into politics.

“To my wife and children, I love you. Goodbye!”

All of the Labour MPs and Lib Dem MPs gave Starmer a standing ovation as he exited the chamber.

According to Patrick Maguire from The Times, some ministers “wept” when deputy PM David Lammy paid tribute to the outgoing leader during his final cabinet meeting on Wednesday, too.

Starmer’s exit comes two months after Labour’s catastrophic performance in the May elections in England, Scotland and Wales.

As Labour MPs called for the PM to resign, a path was cleared for Burnham, then Greater Manchester mayor, to return to the Commons and replace Starmer.

He won the Makerfield by-election comfortably last month, prompting Starmer’s resignation.

Burnham will be crowned as Labour leader on Friday and is set to receive the keys to Downing Street on Monday while Starmer returns to the backbenches.

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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Burnham Under Fire As Labour Blocks Vote To Force Him To Face Commons On First Day As PM

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Andy Burnham has been slammed after Labour blocked a vote which could have forced him to face the Commons on his first day as prime minister.

The Makerfield MP is set to be crowned as the Labour leader on Friday having run unchallenged to be Keir Starmer’s replacement.

However, an MP cannot become party leader and prime minister on the same day – meaning Burnham will get the keys to No.10 on Monday, July 20.

MPs were already scheduled to start their six-week summer recess on Thursday, July 16, so the Commons will not be sitting on the new PM’s first day.

There is no constitutional rule calling for a prime minister to appear before MPs immediately after being appointed by the monarch.

The Conservatives wanted to use their pre-arranged opposition day debate on Wednesday to table a motion saying the Commons should delay recess so Burnham can address MPs next Monday as the new prime minister.

But the leader of the Commons, Labour’s Alan Campbell, announced on Tuesday there had been a change in parliamentary business.

Instead, MPs would have a general debate on the ongoing situation in Iran.

The Tories’ shadow leader of the Commons Jesse Norman said the public would conclude Burnham was “running scared of public scrutiny before he can even take office”.

“The government has a majority of more than 150 and it could not trust its MPs to vote the right way on that motion [delaying the recess], and it could not bear the idea of a new prime minister facing any scrutiny before September,” Norman said.

“A prime minister, let me remind us all, who has been chosen by a coronation not a contest, with no known platform, almost no known policies, and no idea of his priorities or indeed his cabinet team.”

Campbell dismissed Norman’s claim, insisting it was important for MPs to have a chance to debate what was happening in Iran.

He claimed he was unaware of the motion the Tories were going to table on Wednesday, insisting he was “telling the absolute truth” at the despatch box.

The Commons leader also accused the Tories of playing games, saying: “People listening to this… will do so with a degree of incredulity that [the Conservative party] was preferring to go down a route of playing some weird political game while the Middle East is on the brink of conflagration.”

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch wrote on X: In an unprecedented move, Labour have scrapped the Conservative vote to force Andy Burnham to come to Parliament to answer questions when he becomes PM on Monday.

“Labour are running scared because they know the honeymoon will be over the minute he has to tell us his plans.”

Burnham has already faced significant backlash for dodging scrutiny on his hurried journey to No.10.

Since winning the Makerfield by-election last month, he has avoided making any statements in the House of Commons and has not held any press conferences.

There is plenty of mystery around what he plans to do as prime minister, especially since he did not have to have any debates with leadership rivals also vying for Starmer’s role.

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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