Newly-elected UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced his initial cabinet appointments following Labour Party’s resounding general election victory, which ended 14 years of Conservative rule.
Starmer, who became the first Labour Prime Minister since Gordon Brown in 2010, was invited by King Charles III to form a government during a meeting at Buckingham Palace on Friday.
Starmer appointed Angela Rayner as his deputy, and she will also serve as the Minister for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities, according to a statement from Downing Street.
Rayner, 44, was Starmer’s first confirmed cabinet member.
Rachel Reeves has been named the Chancellor of the Exchequer, making her the first woman in UK history to hold the role of finance minister.
Starmer has also appointed David Lammy as Foreign Secretary and Yvette Cooper as Home Secretary.
Lammy, 51, a prominent black lawmaker, replaces the Conservatives’ David Cameron as Britain’s top diplomat, while Cooper, 55, takes on the challenging role at the Home Office.
The new cabinet reflects increased diversity, with Black, Asian, and ethnic minority lawmakers now constituting approximately 13% of the House of Commons, up from 10% in 2019.
Other key appointments include John Healey as Defence Secretary, Pat McFadden as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Ed Miliband as Energy Secretary, Bridget Phillipson as Education Secretary, Wes Streeting as Health Secretary and Shabana Mahmood as Justice Secretary
In his victory speech, Starmer expressed his dedication to leading significant changes in the country.
“We did it. Change begins now. We said we would end the chaos, and we will. Today, we start the next chapter, begin the work of change, the mission of national renewal, and start to rebuild our country. I don’t promise you it will be easy,” Starmer cautioned.
“Changing a country is not like flicking a switch. It’s hard work. Patient, determined work, and we will have to get moving immediately.”
Outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in his concession speech, accepted responsibility for the Conservatives’ defeat and emphasised the importance of learning from the election results.
“Today power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides. There is much to learn and reflect on and I take responsibility for the loss to the many good, hardworking Conservative candidates. I am sorry,” Sunak stated.
