Angela Rayner appointed shadow levelling up secretary in Labour reshuffle

By admin On Sep 4, 2023

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner has been appointed as the shadow secretary of state for levelling up in Sir Keir Starmer’s reshuffle.

Wigan MP Lisa Nandy, who previously held that position, has been demoted to minister for international development.

Although she will still attend cabinet, Sky News deputy political editor Sam Coates said she is “having her wings clipped” with less responsibility involved in her new role.

Politics Live: Labour reshuffle under way

He said: “There is not a cabinet post anymore for international development, Boris Johnson scrapped the department for international development so in affect she will be probably a minister – shadowing the minister of state level.

“She will be sort of a shadow number two in the foreign office. This is unambiguously a demotion.”

A source close to Lisa Nandy said she is “proud of the work” she has done in levelling up, which covers housing and devolution.

“Lisa is a team player and looks forward to getting stuck into the new role,” they said.

A Labour source said: “Keir is delighted that Angela has accepted this important role, in addition she will continue to be the strategic lead on Labour’s new deal for working people.”

Ms Rayner was elected deputy leader by party members in 2020, meaning she will keep that position no matter what.

She was previously shadowing the Cabinet Office, a relatively low-profile brief which focuses on government procedure.

The change of the party’s top team coincides with the return of parliament after the summer recess.

It kicked off with the resignation of shadow environment secretary Jim McMahon, who said he was stepping down after facing “a number of personal challenges in the last year coming back from a serious illness”.

Steve Reed, who was the shadow justice secretary, has been moved to fill Mr McMahon’s shoes while Shabana Mahmood, previously Labour’s National Campaign Coordinator, will take over from Mr Reed.

Ms Mahmood is a key ally to the Labour leader and has been credited with helping transform the party and its campaign machine since the general election disaster in 2019.

A Labour source said: “This promotion is recognition of the integral role Shabana has played in transforming the Labour party as National Campaign Co-ordinator.”

The new National Campaign Co-ordinator will be Pat McFadden who has also been appointed shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

His previous role as the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury will be taken over by Darren Jones, the chair of parliament’s business committee who is widely regarded an effective communicator.

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Another new entry to the cabinet is defeated 2015 leadership candidate Liz Kendall, who is replacing Jonathan Ashworth as shadow work and pensions secretary.

Mr Ashworth has been moved to the Paymaster General brief, which will involve playing a “big role” in the general election campaign, Sky News understands.

Another shakeup saw Thangham Debbonaire, previously the shadow leader of the House of Commons, swap jobs with Lucy Powell, the shadow culture secretary.

Meanwhile Northern Ireland shadow secretary Peter Kyle has been handed Labour’s science and technology brief, a new position created by Rishi Sunak’s shakeup of Whitehall departments earlier this year.

The new shadow Northern Ireland secretary is veteran MP Hilary Benn, who served as shadow foreign secretary under former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Nick Thomas-Symonds, the shadow trade secretary, has been appointed shadow minister without portfolio.

Sir Keir did not replace his most senior colleagues, with the likes of shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper safe in their positions.

But the reshuffle has not been entirely without its drama – as one shadow minister stepped down with a warning to Sir Keir about his strategy on mental health.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, the shadow minister for mental health, which falls within the wider health department, said it had been “an honour” to serve in the shadow cabinet but it has been “made clear” by the Labour leader that there is not “a space for a mental health portfolio” in his top team.

In a letter to the party leader, she warned the “Tory government has created a mental health crisis” and the “next Labour government” will need to treat mental health services as a “priority”.

It follows Rishi Sunak’s mini Cabinet re-shuffle, in which he avoided major changes but gave new appointments to close allies Grant Shapps and Claire Coutinho.

Both leaders are gearing up for annual party conference season in October and look to getting their top teams in shape for the next general election.

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