Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Shabana Mahmood promoted as Starmer reshuffles top Labour team

Lisa Nandy who has been the opposition's levelling up policy chief is demoted to the role of shadow minister

LABOUR MP Shabana Mahmood said she was honoured to be appointed shadow secretary of state for justice after party leader Sir Keir Starmer carried out a reshuffle on Monday (4).

Days after prime minister Rishi Sunak’s mini reshuffle last week, Sir Keir named Birmingham Ladywood MP Mahmood to the shadow front bench.


“As a former barrister, I know the challenges our justice system is facing - after 13 years of the Conservatives, it is on its knees,” she said on X, formerly Twitter, adding, “Looking forward to getting stuck in! @UKLabour is the party of law & order.”

Labour is way ahead in the opinion polls before next year's expected national election.

Mahmood, an ally of Sir Keir, was promoted to the justice brief after running successful campaigns.

GettyImages 1367151971 Lisa Nandy (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

However, Wigan MP Lisa Nandy and Birmingham’s Preet Kaur Gill were among those who were demoted.

Nandy was removed as shadow levelling up secretary and named shadow international development minister, held previously by Gill – the first British Sikh female MP.

Nandy’s father Dipak Nandy is a Kolkata-born academic known for his work in race relations in Britain.

“There is so much potential across our country. But to realise it, we need a government that will spread power and opportunity far more widely,” Nandy said on X.

“That's what the next Labour government will do, and it's what ‘All In' is about,” she added, in reference to the paperback edition of her political book ‘All In' which is published this month.

Nandy, 44, was one of the leadership contenders who stood against Sir Keir after Labour's defeat in the 2019 general election with Jeremy Corbyn as the leader. Boris Johnson’s Conservatives won with a landslide of 80 seats, most of them in Labour’s red wall constituencies.

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner was named shadow levelling up secretary, seen as a sign of party poised to be in election mode, ahead of the annual party conference in October.

Gill took to social media to sign off from the shadow cabinet and reiterate her support for Sir Keir’s leadership.

Preet Kaur Gill MP Preet Kaur Gill MP

“It has been a great privilege to serve as the Shadow Secretary for International Development through a tumultuous few years: a global pandemic that has set the clock back on years of progress, the UK's disastrous exit from Afghanistan, and Putin's abhorrent war in Ukraine,” the Birmingham Edgbaston MP tweeted.

“I am proud of our work we have done holding the government to account: over its disastrous decision to abolish DfID and mismanaged aid cuts that have harmed so many lives...It couldn't be clearer that we need to turf out this rotten, zombie government and put a mission-driven Labour government in power. It is as clear today as it was three years ago when I supported his campaign to be leader, that Keir Starmer is the Prime Minister Britain needs,” she said.

Sri Lankan origin Thangam Debbonaire MP is the new shadow culture secretary.

Tooting MP and shadow mental health minister Dr Rosena Allin Khan resigned from her post and said in a letter to Sir Keir that he made clear there was no space for a mental health portfolio in a Labour Cabinet.

She said on X, “There is still such a long way to go however, to ensure that we get the much needed reform to the Mental Health Act and that patients are safe in inpatient mental health settings.

“I'll always be a voice for the voiceless.

“I'll continue to fight for a Labour goverment, to change this country for the better.”

Veteran MP Pat McFadden replaced Mahmood as national campaign coordinator and will shadow the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and Hilary Benn, who served under former prime minister Tony Blair, becomes Northern Ireland policy chief.

Darren Jones, who won credit for his work on the parliament's business committee, becomes shadow chief secretary to the Treasury.

Feltham and Heston MP Seema Malhotra retains her brief as Shadow Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Labour Markets.

More For You

uk weather

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England

iStock

England faces widespread heat alerts and hosepipe bans amid rising temperatures

Highlights:

  • Amber heat health alerts in place for large parts of England
  • Hosepipe bans announced in Yorkshire, Kent and Sussex
  • Temperatures could reach 33°C over the weekend
  • Health risks rise, especially for elderly and vulnerable groups

Heat warnings in effect as UK braces for another hot weekend

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England, with temperatures expected to climb to 33°C in some areas over the weekend. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) activated the warning at 12 pm on Friday, with it set to remain in place until 9 am on Monday.

The alerts cover the East Midlands, West Midlands, south-east, south-west, East of England, and London. Additional yellow alerts were issued for the north-east, north-west, and Yorkshire and the Humber, starting from midday Friday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Essex ladybird invasion

One of the largest gatherings was filmed on a beach at Point Clear

Dee-anne Markiewicz / SWNS

Swarms of ladybirds invade Essex coastline amid soaring temperatures

Highlights:

  • Ladybird swarms reported across Essex and Suffolk coastal towns
  • Hot weather likely driving the sudden surge in population
  • Sightings include Point Clear, Shoebury, Clacton and Felixstowe
  • Similar outbreaks occurred in 1976 during another hot UK summer

Sudden surge in ladybird numbers across the southeast

Millions of ladybirds have been spotted swarming towns and villages along the Essex coast, with similar sightings stretching into Suffolk. Residents have reported unusually high numbers of the red and black-spotted insects, particularly near coastal areas, with the recent hot weather believed to be a major contributing factor.

One of the largest gatherings was filmed on a beach at Point Clear, a village near St Osyth in Essex, where the insects could be seen piling on top of each other on driftwood and plants.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kapil Sharma

Kapil Sharma’s Canada cafe shot at days after opening

Instagram/ginnichatrath

Kapil Sharma’s Canadian café targeted in shooting, Khalistani terrorist cites mockery of Nihang Sikhs as motive

Highlights:

  • Shots were fired at Kap’s Café in Surrey, Canada, owned by comedian Kapil Sharma, just days after its opening.
  • Khalistani extremist Harjit Singh Laddi, linked to banned group BKI, claimed responsibility.
  • The motive cited was an old comedy segment from The Kapil Sharma Show that allegedly mocked Nihang Sikhs.
  • No injuries were reported; Canadian authorities are investigating the incident.

Comedian Kapil Sharma’s recently launched Kap’s Café in Surrey, British Columbia, was the target of a shooting in the early hours of 10 July. Though no one was harmed, the property sustained significant damage. A known Khalistani extremist, Harjit Singh Laddi, has claimed responsibility for the attack, citing perceived religious disrespect on The Kapil Sharma Show.

 Kap\u2019s Cafe in Surrey  Kap’s Cafe in Surrey was struck by gunfire late at night with staff still insideInstagram/thekapscafe_

Keep ReadingShow less
Police probe hate crime over migrant effigies bonfire in Northern Ireland

Models depicting migrants wearing life jackets in a small boat alongside two banners reading 'Stop the boats' and 'Veterans before refugees' are displayed on top a bonfire in Moygashel, Northern Ireland, on July 9, 2025. (Photo by PETER MURPHY/AFP via Getty Images)

Police probe hate crime over migrant effigies bonfire in Northern Ireland

POLICE in Northern Ireland have launched a hate crime investigation after a bonfire topped with effigies of migrants in a boat was set alight in the village of Moygashel, County Tyrone.

The incident, which took place on Thursday (10) night, has drawn widespread condemnation from political leaders, church officials, and human rights groups.

Keep ReadingShow less
Navratri festival in Wembley

A similar event held at the same site last year resulted in a planning enforcement notice being issued due to complaints of noise and disturbance.

Getty Images

Navratri festival in Wembley faces objections

A PROPOSED 10-day Hindu festival in Wembley, north London, has drawn objections over concerns about noise and disruption in the area.

Asian Events Media (AEM) has applied to Brent Council to host the Navratri celebration at Alperton Studios from September 22 to October 1, according to The London Standard.

Keep ReadingShow less