UK PM Burnham sacks 12 cabinet members in purge, sparking factional backlash

Published Jul 24, 02:40 PM UTC

Upon becoming UK Prime Minister, Andy Burnham immediately dismissed a dozen cabinet members loyal to predecessor Keir Starmer, including Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Deputy PM David Lammy. He replaced them with close allies such as Louise Haigh and Anneliese Midgley. Ed Miliband was promoted to Foreign Secretary, while John Healey became Chancellor in a surprise move. Wes Streeting returned as Defence Secretary. The reshuffle has been criticized by some Labour MPs as factional and divisive, though supporters argue it has clear logic. The purge has heightened internal party tensions.