Andy Burnham is set to preside over his inaugural Cabinet meeting today following a reorganization that resulted in several of Keir Starmer’s supporters being relegated to the backbenches. New Chancellor John Healey will reclaim his position at the top table after recently resigning as Defence Secretary, citing a lack of financial support from the Treasury for national defense. He now heads the department, with Wes Streeting, who also resigned in protest against Starmer’s leadership, assuming his former role.
Ed Miliband will make his debut as Foreign Secretary, while Shabana Mahmood retains her role as Home Secretary after introducing significant reforms to the asylum system last week. Yvette Cooper, previously overseeing the Home Office and Foreign Office, has been reassigned as Health Secretary in a series of late announcements.
Returning members to the Cabinet include Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Louise Haigh, and Education Secretary Lucy Powell. Among the new additions are Burnham’s allies Anneliese Midgley and Energy Security Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh.
The Prime Minister, who assumed office on Monday, vowed to implement the most extensive changes the UK has witnessed in four decades. In an address outside No10, he expressed his vision for rekindling hope in Britain.
Notable absences from the Cabinet lineup are Rachel Reeves, David Lammy, Peter Kyle, and Liz Kendall, all dismissed in one of Burnham’s initial acts as Prime Minister, alongside Starmer allies Steve Reed and Lord Richard Hermer.
On his first day, Burnham declared his commitment to addressing homelessness and emphasized the importance of core values in governance. Additionally, the government announced an £850 million tax reduction on energy bills to alleviate the cost-of-living crisis, effective from October 1, making energy bills VAT exempt, resulting in an average saving of £45 per household.
Funding for this tax cut will partly come from discontinuing Starmer’s digital ID initiative, which was projected to cost approximately £600 million annually over three years. The Prime Minister emphasized the immediate relief this measure would bring to households.
Healey commended the energy tax cut as a step towards alleviating the financial burdens faced by many, particularly during winter. The initiative is expected to mitigate inflation and support households across the nation.
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