Keir Starmer hands Blairite MPs key roles in Labour reshuffle

Receive free Labour Party UK updates

We’ll send you a myFT Daily Digest email rounding up the latest Labour Party UK news every morning.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer handed a clutch of “Blairite” MPs key roles in his top team on Monday, in what is likely to be his final shake-up of the shadow cabinet ahead of the UK general election expected next year.

Those promoted on Tuesday include veteran former ministers Pat McFadden and Hilary Benn, as well as Liz Kendall, Darren Jones and Peter Kyle.

The appointments show how Starmer — who hopes to become the first Labour leader to win a general election since Sir Tony Blair in 2005 — is seeking to rebuild the party in a similar “centrist” style, with a focus on fiscal rectitude and socially conservative policies.

At the same time Starmer made his deputy Angela Rayner shadow levelling-up secretary, a brief that also covers housing and communities. Rayner will continue to lead development of Labour’s employment policies, and her other title was also changed from shadow first secretary of state to shadow deputy prime minister.

Labour has a roughly 18-point polling lead over UK prime minister Rishi Sunak’s ruling Conservative party ahead of the election, which must be held by January 2025.

The most significant promotion went to McFadden, an arch-moderniser who worked for Blair 20 years ago, who was appointed shadow Cabinet Office secretary responsible for machinery of government issues.

McFadden will also become Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator ahead of the election. One party aide said: “Pat’s role will bridge the needs of the election campaign and what we need to do in terms of government reform if we’re lucky enough to win the election.”

Other Blairite figures given promotions included Kendall, appointed to Starmer’s top team for the first time as shadow work and pensions secretary. Kendall, who stood unsuccessfully for the leadership in 2015, is expected to take a tough stance on benefits.

Kyle, who previously held the Northern Ireland brief, was made shadow secretary of state for science, innovation and technology.

Darren Jones, another moderniser, was appointed shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, becoming a shadow minister for the first time. Jones, a 36-year-old high flyer first elected to parliament in 2017, was previously chair of the House of Commons business select committee.

Benn, meanwhile, replaced Kyle as shadow Northern Ireland secretary. Benn has extensive government experience, having served as a cabinet minister under Blair and his successor Gordon Brown.

Key centrist figures, including shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves and shadow foreign secretary David Lammy, remained in post. Monday also marked former senior civil servant Sue Gray’s first day as Starmer’s chief of staff.

The promotions are the latest demonstration of how Starmer, who took over in 2020 from “hard left” former leader Jeremy Corbyn, is seeking to take Labour down the more centrist route pursued by Blair’s “New Labour” project in the 1990s and 2000s.

New Labour lost power in 2010 after falling out of favour with voters over the invasion of Iraq alongside the US in 2003 and the 2008-09 global financial crash.

“This Labour reshuffle is proper Blairism on steroids,” said David Linden, a Scottish National party MP. “At this rate I’ll be surprised if we are not invading Iraq by tea time.”

Momentum, the leftwing pressure group, described Starmer’s new shadow cabinet as “the most Blairite since Blair”.

Elsewhere, Shabana Mahmood, a key Starmer loyalist, was appointed shadow justice secretary, replacing Steve Reed, who took over the environment brief.

One Labour official said Mahmood’s promotion was in recognition of her role in “helping transform the Labour party and its campaign machine” as former campaign co-ordinator.

When Starmer won the leadership three years ago, he was widely seen as belonging to the “soft left” of the party — ideologically halfway between Blair and Corbyn. But various figures from that loose grouping of MPs were demoted in Monday’s reshuffle.

Lisa Nandy, who stood against Starmer for the leadership, was replaced by Rayner as shadow levelling-up secretary and appointed shadow cabinet minister for international development, succeeding Preet Gill.

Jim McMahon earlier resigned as shadow environment secretary, saying he wanted to focus on his family and health after recovering from a serious illness.

Nick Thomas-Symonds, former shadow trade secretary, was demoted to shadow minister without portfolio in the Cabinet Office. Jonathan Ashworth, who had been work and pensions spokesperson, was made shadow paymaster general.

Rosena Allin-Khan quit the front bench after her role as shadow mental health minister was downgraded from a shadow cabinet position.