Sir Keir Starmer reshuffles his Downing Street team

1 week ago 7

Sir Keir Starmer has announced a shake-up of his squad successful Downing Street arsenic helium seeks to reset his premiership aft a hard archetypal twelvemonth successful office.

Darren Jones, seen arsenic a rising prima wrong the Labour Party, has been moved to Number 10 to oversee the day-to-day transportation of the premier minister's priorities.

He has spent the past twelvemonth arsenic the main caput to the Treasury - fundamentally Chancellor Rachel Reeves's lawman - but that relation volition present beryllium taken by James Murray, who was antecedently the exchequer secretary.

Mr Murray volition beryllium replaced by Dan Tomlinson, a caller MP from the 2024 intake who was the government's "growth ngo champion".

Politics latest: Starmer begins Downing Street reshuffle

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Sir Keir said the changes were not a reshuffle but a modulation "to the 2nd phase" of his government.

"We spent the archetypal twelvemonth benignant of fixing the foundations, if you like, doing the hard yards," helium said.

"But we are present into benignant of signifier 2 of the government, which is wherever we absorption connected delivery, delivery, transportation and commencement to amusement what a quality a Labour authorities truly makes."

He added that helium was not "angry" astir the gait of alteration his authorities had managed, but said helium was "frustrated".

"I get the vexation and choler of voters due to the fact that they privation change," helium said, vowing to spell "further and faster".

In a video posted aboriginal connected the premier minister's X account, Sir Keir said helium had gathered the caller squad successful Number 10 this greeting to sermon what signifier 2 of the authorities "will look similar and consciousness like".

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The reset comes aft a summertime marred by antagonistic headlines connected migration and Channel crossings.

Labour is languishing down Reform UK successful the polls aft a hard archetypal twelvemonth successful which they besides faced a backlash implicit the chopped to wintertime substance payments and planned payment reforms.

Labour backbenchers person criticised Number 10 for not engaging with their concerns and having a mediocre communications strategy.

Luke Akehurst, the Labour MP for North Durham, welcomed today's shakeup, telling Sky News: "Darren Jones is simply a precise effectual curate and large communicator truthful it's a invited determination to spot him brought into Number 10 and helping to thrust affirmative alteration crossed government."

Mr Jones's authoritative caller rubric is main caput to the premier minister, and helium volition respond straight to Sir Keir portion continuing to be cabinet.

He was elected arsenic the Bristol North-West MP successful 2017 and roseate to prominence a fewer years aboriginal arsenic seat of the concern prime committee, erstwhile helium made a sanction for himself holding concern leaders to account.

Mr Jones has previously described Tony Blair arsenic his governmental hero and is understood to person privately urged the authorities to beryllium much radical.

In its announcement of the changes connected Monday morning, Downing Street said it would "bolster" its operations to people a caller word successful parliament, with MPs returning from the summertime recess today.

New economical advisor appointed

Other caller appointments see economist Baroness Minouche Shafik, who volition beryllium the premier minister's main economical adviser.

The Labour adjacent is simply a British-American economist and world who has antecedently served arsenic the president and vice chancellor of the London School of Economics (LSE), and arsenic the president of Columbia University.

 PA

Image: Darren Jones Pic: PA

Tim Allan, who was an advisor to Blair from 1992 to 1998, has been appointed arsenic the government's Executive Director of Communications and volition enactment with existing manager of communications, Steph Driver

James Lyons, who had been manager of strategical communications wrong No 10, has near his relation aft a year, saying that it was "never intended arsenic a agelong haul".

The premier minister's lawman main of unit Vidhya Alakeson volition instrumentality connected the expanded responsibilities of wide oversight of Policy and Delivery wrong Downing Street.

Daniel York-Smith has been appointed arsenic the premier minister's main backstage caput (PPS), a elder civilian servant presumption that was antecedently held by Nin Pandit.

James Murray is the caller   Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Image: James Murray is the caller Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Ms Pandit departed past week but remains successful Downing Street and volition pb a "newly reformed" transportation team, Number 10 said.

There had been speculation that inferior ministers would besides look a reshuffle erstwhile MPs returned from their summertime recess but authorities insiders person said nary specified changes volition instrumentality place, astatine slightest successful the archetypal week of September.

Kevin Hollinrake, the Conservative Party chairman, said the "chaotic" reshuffle "shows a Downing Street successful situation - wholly distracted from fixing the harm they've done to the economy, jobs and tiny businesses".

"It's similar firefighters arguing astir the hose whilst the location burns down," helium added.

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