Nandy to face Gove in new levelling-up role after Labour reshuffle

LABOUR MP for Wigan Lisa Nandy has a new role as shadow secretary for levelling up, as party leader Sir Keir Starmer carried out a reshuffle on Monday (29).

The former shadow foreign secretary was quoted as saying her new role was “to deliver on the broken promises” of the past 11 years and added there was a “hell of a lot to do” in the department of levelling up, housing, communities, and local government.

Sir Keir named David Lammy as the new shadow foreign secretary, while Yvette Cooper MP is the new shadow home secretary.

Nandy dismissed a rift between Sir Keir and deputy leader Angela Rayner, who said on Monday (29) she was unaware of a reshuffle.

Nandy said: “I have not spoken to Angela since the reshuffle was announced. I have been too busy getting a team together and putting a plan together.

“I think that the leader makes the decisions, the gaffer picks the team, that’s how it goes and that’s how it has always gone.”

Among other changes in the shadow cabinet, Ed Miliband is the shadow secretary of state for climate change and net zero, but the former Labour leader lost his shadow business secretary role to Jonathan Reynolds.

Wes Streeting replaces Jonathan Ashworth as the new shadow health secretary, handing him a key role in scrutinising the government's response to the pandemic. Ashworth is the shadow work and pensions secretary.

Cooper replaced Nick Thomas-Symonds, who took over as shadow international trade secretary from Emily Thornberry, who is now the shadow attorney general. Bridget Phillipson is the new shadow education secretary, while Lucy Powell is the shadow digital, culture, media and sport secretary. Jonathan Reynolds was named the new shadow business secretary.

Sir Keir said the reshuffle would give him a "smaller, more focused shadow cabinet that mirrors the shape of the government we are shadowing".

"I look forward to working with the new team to show we are once again a serious party of government," the Labour leader added.

It is the second reshuffle under Sir Keir; after Labour’s defeat in the Hartlepool byelection in May, he moved Rayner from her role as elections coordinator.

Ranyer, who on Monday was giving a speech on cleaning up politics after the scandals over Conservative lobbying, said, “I don’t know the details of the reshuffle or the timing of it. But six months ago I said again we need some consistency in how we are approaching things as an opposition and I want to see us as a government in waiting, doing that job.”

Shabana Mahmood MP remains the national campaign coordinator, while Rosena Allin-Khan, who led Labour’s response in the Commons on Monday to health secretary Sajid Javid’s announcement on masks and extending the booster doses to all adults, keeps her position as shadow minister for mental health.

Among other Asian MPs, Preet Kaur Gill stays as shadow secretary of state for international development and Thangam Debbonaire remains shadow leader of the House of Commons.