Keir Starmer unveils new frontbench team after wider reshuffle

Sienna Rodgers
© UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor

Labour leader Keir Starmer has completed his appointments to the party’s wider frontbench today, after announcing the results of a wide-ranging shadow cabinet reshuffle at the start of the week.

In the reshuffle of the top team on Monday, Yvette Cooper became Shadow Home Secretary, David Lammy was picked as Shadow Foreign Secretary and Wes Streeting was appointed as Shadow Health Secretary.

Lisa Nandy moved to Shadow Levelling Up, Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary, Steve Reed is now responsible for justice and Bridget Phillipson is Labour’s education lead.

With Ed Miliband’s brief being cut down to focus on climate change and net zero, creating a new team for him, Jonathan Reynolds is now Shadow Business and Industrial Strategy Secretary.

Justin Madders will be responsible for employment rights and protections, sitting across both the Reynolds’ BIS team and Angela Rayner’s future of work team. He was the maternity cover for Laura Pidcock when she was Shadow Employment Rights Secretary.

Alex Norris, formerly shadow health minister, will now work with Nandy in the levelling up team, which a party source described as “an indication of our commitment to that work, one of our strongest and most agile b-cast voices”.

Andrew Gwynne, who left the shadow cabinet shortly after Starmer became leader, and Karin Smyth, who stepped down from her post in Labour’s Northern Ireland team in February, are returning to the opposition frontbench.

Ellie Reeves will be ‘number two’ in the justice team, Matthew Pennycook moves from climate change to housing, Holly Lynch from crime reduction to securities and Tulip Siddiq from early years to shadow City minister.

Following the appointment of shadow ministers, Starmer said: “Building on our changes to shadow cabinet, the appointment of our shadow ministers reiterates that the Labour Party I lead is focused on working people’s priorities.

“We will relentlessly hold this Conservative government to account for their failure to get a grip of the challenges we face, and will put forward our positive and exciting ideas for our country. Labour is back in business and ready for government.”

Below is Keir Starmer’s new Labour frontbench in full.

Leader of Her Majesty’s Most Loyal Opposition
Keir Starmer MP *
PPS: Sharon Hodgson MP

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 MP *
PPS: Florence Eshalomi MP

Business and Industrial Strategy
Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Industrial Strategy: Jonathan Reynolds MP *
Seema Malhotra MP
Chi Onwurah MP
Bill Esterton MP
Justin Madders MP (also Future of Work)
Baroness (Jenny) Chapman of Darlington
Rt Hon Lord (Steve) Bassam of Brighton
Baroness (Judith) Blake of Leeds
Lord (Chris) Lennie
Lord (John) Grantchester (Energy)

Climate Change and Net Zero
Shadow Secretary of State of Climate Change and Net Zero: Ed Miliband MP *
Alan Whitehead MP
Olivia Blake MP
PPS: Mick Whitley MP

Cabinet Office
Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster: Angela Rayner MP *
Shadow Minister of State: Baroness (Jenny) Chapman of Darlington *
Rt Hon (Angela) Smith of Basildon *
Fleur Anderson MP
Rachel Hopkins MP
PPS: Florence Eshalomi MP

Future of Work
Shadow Secretary of State for the Future of Work: Angela Rayner MP *
Justin Madders MP (also BEIS)
Imran Hussain MP
PPS: Florence Eshalomi MP

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Lucy Powell MP *
Chris Elmore MP (also Whips’ Office)
Jeff Smith MP
Rachael Maskell MP
Alex Davies-Jones MP
Baroness (Gillian) Merron
Rt Hon Lord (Steve) Bassam of Brighton

Education
Shadow Secretary of State for Education: Bridget Phillipson MP *
Stephen Morgan MP
Matt Western MP
Toby Perkins MP
Helen Hayes MP
Lord (Mike) Watson of Invergowrie
Baroness (Maeve) Sherlock
Baroness (Debbie) Wilcox of Newport

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Jim McMahon MP *
Daniel Zeichner MP
Ruth Jones MP
Alex Sobel MP
Baroness (Maggie) Jones of Whitchurch
Baroness (Sue) Hayman of Ullock

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs: David Lammy MP *
Shadow Cabinet Minister for International Development: Preet Gill MP *
Fabian Hamilton MP
Stephen Doughty MP
Catherine West MP
Bambos Charalambous MP
Lyn Brown MP
PPS: Janet Daby MP
Lord (Ray) Collins of Highbury

Health and Social Care
Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care: Wes Streeting MP *
Shadow Cabinet Minister for Mental Health: Rosena Allin-Khan MP *
Liz Kendall MP
Karin Smyth MP
Andrew Gwynne MP
Feryal Clark MP
Baroness (Glenys) Thornton
Baroness (Margaret) Wheeler (Social Care)
Baroness (Gillian) Merron

Home Office
Shadow Secretary of State for the Home Department: Yvette Cooper MP *
Sarah Jones MP
Jack Dromey MP
Holly Lynch MP
Jess Phillips MP
Naz Shah MP
Lord (Richard) Rosser
Lord (Vernon) Coaker
Lord (Fred) Ponsonby

International Trade
Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade: Nick Thomas-Symonds MP *
Gareth Thomas MP
Nia Griffith MP
Ruth Cadbury MP

Justice
Shadow Secretary of State for Justice: Steve Reed MP *
Ellie Reeves MP
Alex Cunningham MP
Anna McMorrin MP
Afzal Khan MP
Lord (Fred) Ponsonby
Baroness (Jenny) Chapman of Darlington

Law Officers
Shadow Attorney General: Emily Thornberry MP *
Andy Slaughter MP

Leader of the House of Commons
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons: Thangam Debbonaire MP *
Jessica Morden MP (also Whips’ Office)

Levelling Up, Housing, Communities and Local Government
Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing, Communities & Local Government: Lisa Nandy MP *
Matthew Pennycook MP
Alex Norris MP
Mike Amesbury MP
Sarah Owen MP (also Whips’ Office)
Baroness (Sue) Hayman of Ullock
Baroness (Margaret) Wheeler (also Social Care)
Lord (Wajid) Khan of Burnley

Ministry of Defence
Shadow Secretary of State for Defence: John Healey MP *
Stephen Kinnock MP
Stephanie Peacock MP
Chris Evans MP
Lord (Vernon) Coaker
Lord (Denis) Tunnicliffe

National Campaign Coordinator
Shabana Mahmood MP *
Conor McGinn MP (Deputy)*

Northern Ireland
Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland: Peter Kyle MP *
Tonia Antoniazzi MP
Rt Hon Baroness (Angela) Smith of Basildon

Party Chair and Chair of Labour Policy Review
Anneliese Dodds MP *

Scotland
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland: Ian Murray MP *
Liz Twist MP (also Whips’ Office)

Transport
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport: Louise Haigh MP *
Mike Kane MP
Kerry McCarthy MP
Sam Tarry MP
Tan Dhesi MP
Lord (Richard) Rosser
Lord (Denis) Tunnicliffe

Treasury
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer: Rachel Reeves MP *
Shadow Chief Secretary to HM Treasury: Pat McFadden MP *
Tulip Siddiq MP
James Murray MP
Abena Oppong-Asare MP
Lord (Denis) Tunnicliffe

Wales
Shadow Secretary of State for Wales: Jo Stevens MP *
Gerald Jones MP (also Whips’ Office)
Baroness (Debbie) Wilcox of Newport

Women and Equalities
Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities: Anneliese Dodds MP *
Taiwo Owatemi MP (also Whips’ Office)
Baroness (Glenys) Thornton

Work and Pensions
Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions: Jonathan Ashworth MP *
Alison McGovern MP
Vicky Foxcroft MP
Karen Buck MP
Matt Rodda MP
Baroness (Maeve) Sherlock
Baroness (Debbie) Wilcox of Newport

Whips’ Office
Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Commons: Sir Alan Campbell MP *
Lilian Greenwood MP (Deputy)
Rt Hon Mark Tami MP (Deputy)
Jessica Morden MP (also Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Commons)
Chris Elmore MP (also DCMS)
Colleen Fletcher MP
Liz Twist MP (also Scotland)
Mary Glindon MP
Gill Furniss MP
Sarah Owen MP (also Levelling Up)
Taiwo Owatemi MP (also Women and Equalities)
Gerald Jones MP (also Wales)

House of Lords Leadership
Shadow Leader of the House of Lords: Rt Hon Baroness (Angela) Smith of Basildon *
Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Lords: Lord (Roy) Kennedy of Southwark *
Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords: The Lord (Ray) Collins of Highbury

House of Lords Whips
Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Lords: Lord (Roy) Kennedy of Southwark *
Opposition Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords: Lord (Denis) Tunnicliffe
Opposition Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords: Baroness (Margaret) Wheeler
Baroness (Judith) Blake of Leeds
Baroness (Jenny) Chapman of Darlington
Lord (Vernon) Coaker
Lord (Ray) Collins of Highbury
Baroness (Sue) Hayman of Ullock
Lord (Wajid) Khan of Burnley
Lord (Chris) Lennie
Baroness (Gillian) Merron
Baroness (Debbie) Wilcox of Newport

* attending shadow cabinet

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