Yvette Cooper made shadow home secretary in comprehensive Labour shadow cabinet reshuffle
Yvette Cooper has returned to frontline Westminster politics, after being appointed shadow home secretary in Labour’s comprehensive shadow cabinet reshuffle today.
Cooper, a former rising star under Gordon Brown and husband to Labour heavyweight Ed Balls, formerly served as shadow home secretary between 2011 and 2015.
Sir Keir Starmer’s reshuffle also saw David Lammy promoted to shadow foreign secretary from justice, Jonathan Reynolds promoted from work and pensions to business, energy and industrial strategy and Ed Miliband demoted to a new climate change brief.
Lisa Nandy, a Labour leadership contender last year, will now shadow Michael Gove in his role as housing and levelling up secretary.
Labour rising star and Ilford North MP Wes Streeting will be moved to the health brief, after formerly serving as shadow secretary of state for child poverty – a role that does not exist in the current government.
Fellow rising star Bridget Phillipson was promoted from shadow chief secretary to the Treasury to shadow education secretary.
Pat McFadden, a former minister under Gordon Brown, will take over Phillipson’s role as shadow chief secretary to the Treasury.
Nick Thomas-Symonds is among the big losers of the day, after being demoted from shadow home secretary to international trade.
Emily Thornberry was moved from shadow international trade to shadow attorney general in what will be seen as a large demotion.
Kate Green, Luke Pollard, Nia Griffith and Lord Charlie Falconer were all removed from the cabinet entirely.
The day began with drama for the party as rumours of a reshuffle began to surface on Twitter as deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner was making a key speech on parliamentary standards.
Rayner at first said she didn’t know about a reshuffle when questioned by journalists, however it was later clarified by her staff that she and Starmer had briefly spoken about it this morning.
Starmer said: “With this reshuffle, we are a smaller, more focused shadow cabinet that mirrors the shape of the Government we are shadowing. We must hold the Conservative government to account on behalf of the public and demonstrate that we are the right choice to form the next government.”
New Labour shadow cabinet in full
Deputy Leader, Shadow First Secretary of State, Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Secretary of State for the Future of Work: Angela Rayner
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer: Rachel Reeves
Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Industrial Strategy: Jonathan Reynolds
Shadow Secretary of State of Climate Change and Net Zero: Ed Miliband
Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing, Communities & Local Government: Lisa Nandy
Shadow Secretary of State for Defence: John Healey
Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Lucy Powell
Shadow Secretary of State for Education: Bridget Phillipson
Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Jim McMahon
Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Affairs: David Lammy
Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care: Wes Streeting
Shadow Secretary of State for the Home Department: Yvette Cooper
Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade: Nick Thomas-Symonds
Shadow Minister of State at the Cabinet Office: Jenny Chapman
Shadow Secretary of State for Justice: Steve Reed
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport: Louise Haigh
Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, Party Chair and Chair of Labour Policy Review: Anneliese Dodds
Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions: Jonathan Ashworth
Shadow Attorney General: Emily Thornberry
Shadow Cabinet Minister for Mental Health: Rosena Allin-Khan
Shadow Cabinet Minister for International Development: Preet Gill
Shadow Chief Secretary to HM Treasury: Pat McFadden
Shadow Secretary of State for Wales: Jo Stevens
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland: Ian Murray
Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland: Peter Kyle
National Campaign Coordinator: Shabana Mahmood
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons: Thangam Debbonaire
Shadow Chief Whip: Alan Campbell
Shadow Leader of the House of Lords: Angela Smith
Opposition Chief Whip in the House: Roy Kennedy