UK PM Burnham reshuffles cabinet, purges allies of predecessor Keir Starmer

Andy Burnham began his premiership in dramatic style last night, carrying out a brutal purge of ministers loyal to his predecessor in a cabinet reshuffle far more wide-ranging than many had anticipated.

Today, the new Prime Minister welcomes the first meeting of his top team, which Politico's UK political correspondent Sam Blewett described as "spanning the mainstream wings of the party, including key Northern allies and ministers who fell out with Starmer."

Who Took the Top Jobs?

Aside from Burnham himself, the biggest winner following the ousting of Keir Starmer is the new Chancellor, John Healey. A surprise pick, the veteran MP—who quit as defence secretary last month in a row over funding—first held a Treasury brief under Tony Blair in the early 2000s. Hailing from the centre of the party, he is seen as a safe pair of hands who, it is hoped, will not spook the markets, unlike some other names tipped to replace Rachel Reeves.

Chief among those tipped was former Labour leader and net zero champion Ed Miliband, who has instead been appointed foreign secretary. He replaces Yvette Cooper, who moves to the health department in what is technically a demotion.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is one of the few Starmer-era ministers to keep her job, along with Pat McFadden at the Department for Work and Pensions and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy.

And What About the Rest?

Burnham loyalists make up much of the remainder of the cabinet:

• Louise Haigh—Burnham's right-hand woman and key enforcer—becomes Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, First Secretary of State and Cabinet Office minister, tasked with making government run effectively.
• Anneliese Midgley, a key figure in Burnham's leadership campaign, has become chief whip.
• Miatta Fahnbulleh, another close ally who has been advising the PM on policy, takes over from Miliband as energy secretary.
• Former deputy PM Angela Rayner returned to her old job as housing and communities secretary.
• One-time leadership contender Wes Streeting becomes secretary of state for defence.

What Does the Line-Up Say About Burnham's Plans?

Downing Street has insisted Burnham and Healey share the "same outlook" on the major issues the new PM wants to tackle, including re-industrialisation, devolution and the cost of living. While Healey's appointment signals that the new government will prioritise defence spending—perhaps through the issuing of so-called "war bonds"—many see him as more of a blank slate than the likes of Miliband or Mahmood, suggesting economic policy could ultimately emanate from No. 10 rather than next door.

In his first speech as PM, Burnham vowed to end rough sleeping, raise the income tax personal allowance, cut VAT on electricity bills and reform social care. It now falls to Healey to find the cash and flexibility, within strict fiscal rules, to make these and other ambitions happen.

The elevation of Miliband to the Foreign Office suggests Burnham also wishes to break from Starmer on international relations, to "focus relentlessly on the domestic", said Blewett. Having a "big figure from Labour's left in charge of the foreign brief could help smooth that ride."

If there is one thing to be learned from yesterday's appointments, it is that Burnham has a "much stronger theory of power—a view about how he wants to use the office and what he wants to prioritise—than his recent predecessors", said journalist Sam Freedman in his Comment is Freed newsletter.

Unlike Starmer, whose government "looked buffeted by events and U-turns" from day one, Burnham "has indicated not just that he has priorities but that he is willing to make the institutional changes required to make them happen."