Highlights
- Mahmood and Nandy retain senior cabinet roles.
- Kanishka Narayan promoted to Cabinet-level position.
- Healey named chancellor; Miliband takes Foreign Office; Streeting becomes defence secretary.
- Reeves, Lammy and several senior ministers leave government.
PRIME MINISTER Andy Burnham has unveiled his first cabinet, retaining Shabana Mahmood as home secretary and Lisa Nandy as secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, while promoting Kanishka Narayan to a Cabinet-level role.
Mahmood will continue to oversee immigration, national security and policing in England and Wales, a role she has held since September 2025. She had been tipped alongside Ed Miliband as a leading contender for the Treasury but remains in charge of the Home Office under Burnham.
Nandy also remains in government after first taking the culture brief following Labour's 2024 election victory. Her responsibilities now again include digital alongside culture, media and sport. She is expected to continue work on the BBC charter review after recently describing the broadcaster as "one of the most important institutions in this country".
Burnham takes office as prime minister, vows to 'regain stability'
Narayan has been appointed minister of state for artificial intelligence jointly in the Cabinet Office and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. He will attend cabinet.
Born in Muzaffarpur of India's eastern state of Bihar, and raised in Cardiff from the age of 12, Narayan entered parliament in 2024 as Labour MP for the Vale of Glamorgan, becoming Wales' first ethnic minority MP. He previously served as minister for AI and online safety under Keir Starmer and has now been promoted under Burnham.
The appointments were announced after Andy Burnham became prime minister on Monday following the resignation of Keir Starmer. Burnham has reshaped his top team while retaining several senior ministers and moving others into new roles.
John Healey has been appointed chancellor after stepping down as defence secretary last month. Ed Miliband becomes foreign secretary, while Wes Streeting has been named defence secretary. Yvette Cooper has been appointed health secretary.
Louise Haigh has been appointed first secretary of state, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and minister for the Cabinet Office. Angela Rayner returns as housing secretary, Jonathan Reynolds becomes business, innovation, science and trade secretary, Lucy Powell has been appointed education secretary, Alex Norris becomes justice secretary and Dame Angela Eagle takes over as environment secretary. Miatta Fahnbulleh has been appointed energy secretary.
Pat McFadden remains work and pensions secretary, while Heidi Alexander stays as transport secretary and Douglas Alexander continues as Scotland secretary. Stephen Kinnock has been appointed Wales secretary and Sir Chris Bryant becomes Northern Ireland secretary.
Ellie Reeves has been appointed attorney general and Emma Reynolds chief secretary to the Treasury. Both will attend cabinet. Hamish Falconer has been appointed minister for intergovernmental relations and European relations jointly across the Cabinet Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and will also attend cabinet. Matthew Pennycook remains a minister in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and will continue to attend cabinet.
Several senior ministers have left government, including former chancellor Rachel Reeves, former foreign secretary David Lammy, Darren Jones, Nick Thomas-Symonds, Peter Kyle, Steve Reed, Liz Kendall, Hilary Benn, Lord Hermer and Jo Stevens.
Reeves wished "the very best of luck" to her successor, Burnham and the new cabinet as she announced her departure.
Streeting replaces Healey at the Ministry of Defence after previously resigning as health secretary in May. Following his appointment, he wrote on X: "Keeping our country safe is the first duty of government."
"We'll ensure our armed forces have the resources they need and stand steadfast alongside our international allies, especially Ukraine."
Healey takes charge of the Treasury after resigning as defence secretary over funding. In his resignation letter last month, he wrote: "You have been unable, and the Treasury has been unwilling, to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats."
Miliband, who served as energy secretary under Starmer, said it was "a great honour and privilege" to become foreign secretary. He pledged to continue Labour's efforts to "deepen and strengthen" relations with the European Union, "nurture" Britain's "essential alliance" with Washington and be "at the forefront of issues which pose profound and substantial threats to justice and equality in Britain and across the world".
Cabinet appointments
- John Healey – chancellor
- Ed Miliband – foreign secretary
- Louise Haigh – first secretary of state, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and minister for the Cabinet Office
- Shabana Mahmood – home secretary
- Yvette Cooper – health secretary
- Pat McFadden – work and pensions secretary
- Angela Rayner – housing, communities and local government secretary
- Jonathan Reynolds – business, innovation, science and trade secretary
- Lucy Powell – education secretary
- Lisa Nandy – secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport
- Wes Streeting – defence secretary
- Alex Norris – lord chancellor and justice secretary
- Dame Angela Eagle – environment, food and rural affairs secretary
- Miatta Fahnbulleh – energy security and net zero secretary
- Stephen Kinnock – Wales secretary
- Sir Chris Bryant – Northern Ireland secretary
- Ellie Reeves – attorney general (attends cabinet)
- Emma Reynolds – chief secretary to the Treasury (attends cabinet)
- Kanishka Narayan – minister of state for artificial intelligence, jointly in the Cabinet Office and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (attends cabinet)
- Hamish Falconer – minister of state for intergovernmental relations and European relations, jointly in the Cabinet Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (attends cabinet)
- Heidi Alexander – transport secretary
- Douglas Alexander – Scotland secretary
- Sir Alan Campbell – leader of the House of Commons
- Baroness Smith of Basildon – leader of the House of Lords
- Matthew Pennycook – minister of state, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (attends cabinet)
