New Prime Minister Keir Starmer has appointed David Lammy as Britain’s new Foreign Secretary and Rachel Reeves as the country’s first female Chancellor of the Exchequer, while beginning to assemble a team to help him deliver on his promise to rebuild Britain.
Lammy takes office at a time of two global conflicts and has promised to continue to support Ukraine in its conflict with Russia and to work for a ceasefire in the fighting in the Gaza Strip.
Reeves, 45, a former Bank of England economist, spent her time in opposition repairing strained relations with business under former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and convincing voters that the party could be trusted with their money.
Starmer also appointed John Healey as Defence Secretary, while Yvette Cooper will become Home Secretary and will be responsible for internal security and policing.
Starmer has promised his voters that he will bring change and political stability after 14 years of Conservative government with five prime ministers and an even higher turnover in other key ministerial posts, including 10 education ministers.
The appointments of his senior team had been widely expected, with ministers named according to the political mandates they held during their time in opposition.
Angela Rayner will be Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Equality, Housing and Communities.
Wes Streeting has been appointed Health Secretary, taking over responsibility for Britain’s crisis-hit National Health Service (NHS), one of the most important issues for voters ahead of the election.
Ed Miliband, previously leader of the Labour Party, has been appointed Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero Emissions, while Jonathan Reynolds will be the new Business Secretary.
Shabana Mahmood has been appointed Minister for Justice, while Bridget Phillipson will be Minister for Education.
Labour won an overwhelming majority in the 650-seat parliament, prompting Rishi Sunak to resign on Friday morning before Starmer left for a meeting with King Charles to be officially appointed prime minister.
He said he would fight every day to restore trust. Britain would have a “government without the burden of doctrine,” underlining what he had repeated repeatedly during the election campaign: the country would come first, the party second.
“To stand up quietly to those who have written off our country. They have given us a clear mandate and we will use it to bring about change.”
The election result has turned British politics on its head.
Labour gained more than 410 seats, an increase of 211, while the Conservatives lost 250 MPs, including a record number of senior ministers and former Prime Minister Liz Truss.