Darren Jones: Keir Starmer moves rising star to Labour’s shadow treasury team
Labour MP Darren Jones has been appointed shadow chief secretary to the treasury, in Sir Keir Starmer’s reshuffle of his top team.
Jones made headlines and viral TikToks as he clashed with Royal Mail, Amazon and P&O bosses in his role as business and trade select committee (BTC) chairman.
He will now serve alongside shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves and take a key role in formulating Labour’s economic policy.
Posting on X, Jones said he was “thrilled” to be asked to join the shadow treasury, adding: “I’ve loved chairing [the BTC] and I hope I’ve served the public, the committee and the House well. Now to secure a Labour government.”
The Bristol North West MP takes over the role from former Blair advisor Pat McFadden, who has been made Labour’s national campaign coordinator – in a key strategic post.
McFadden was also appointed shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, a role which falls within the shadow cabinet office team, with a focus on the machinery of government.
Starmer allies see it as a sign the Labour leader is preparing for life in No10, following the appointment of former civil servant and Partygate report author Sue Gray as chief of staff.
Other reshuffle moves include Liz Kendall, another Labour MP on the party’s right flank, and former leadership candidate, being appointed shadow work and pensions secretary.
Kendall replaces Jonathan Ashworth, who moves into another shadow cabinet office role as shadow paymaster general, with some sources dubbing him ‘shadow minister for the Today programme’.
Starmer also created a new role – echoing Sunak’s creation of the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) – and appointed Peter Kyle as shadow secretary of state.
Kyle moved from his shadow Northern Ireland brief, which will now be filled by former Blair-era minister Hillary Benn.
Lucy Powell becomes shadow leader of the House of Commons, a job swap with former pro-cellist Thangam Debbonaire, who takes up the shadow culture, media and sport role.
Former shadow trade secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds becomes shadow cabinet office minister without portfolio, and Ellie Reeves joins as deputy national campaign coordinator.