John Healey named chancellor
John Healey has been named chancellor in Andy Burnham’s first Cabinet appointment.
Healey resigned as defence secretary last month, in protest at Keir Starmer’s defence investment plan.
Our political editor Pippa Crerar writes:
Burnham’s team were clear they want an experienced figure to deliver his vision for UK economy – combining fiscal responsibility with focus on re-industrialisation, devolution, cost of living crisis and driving growth.
Healey quit cabinet last month accusing Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves of putting the UK’s security at risk, saying defence investment plan fell well short.
He will now be responsible for finding the money to raise military spending to 3% by 2030. Could he opt for defence bonds to do so – which he argued for from MoD – even though it was dismissed as extra borrowing.
Key events
Andy Burnham has announced his final cohort of Cabinet ministers.
Stephen Kinnock is the new Secretary of State for Wales, while Sir Chris Bryant MP is Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Downing Street said.
Ellie Reeves is the new Attorney General, and she will attend Cabinet. Emma Reynolds is the new Chief Secretary to the Treasury. She will attend Cabinet.
Kanishka Narayan will be a minister of state across the Cabinet Office and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. He will attend Cabinet.
Hamish Falconer is a minister across both the Cabinet Office and Foreign Office. He will attend Cabinet.
Heidi Alexander remains as Transport Secretary and Douglas Alexander remains as Scotland Secretary.
Sir Alan Campbell MP will remain as Leader of the House of Commons. Baroness Smith of Basildon remains as Leader of the House of Lords.
Matthew Pennycook MP will remain as a minister in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. He will attend Cabinet.
A summary of today’s developments
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John Healey has been named chancellor in Andy Burnham’s first Cabinet appointment. Healey resigned as defence secretary last month in protest at Keir Starmer’s defence investment plan.
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Yvette Cooper has been appointed health secretary while Shabana Mahmood keeps her job as home secretary.
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Ed Miliband has been named foreign secretary while Wes Streeting has been appointed defence secretary.
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Angela Rayner said she is “delighted” to be reappointed housing secretary, adding on X: “Andy Burnham’s vision of good growth in every postcode demands we build on the foundations we have already laid to bring the change we have promised.”
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Louise Haigh has been named as Andy Burnham’s first secretary of state, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and minister for the Cabinet Office.
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Alex Norris is the new justice secretary and Dame Angela Eagle is the new environment secretary, Downing Street said. Miatta Fahnbulleh has been appointed the energy secretary.
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Pat McFadden will remain in his role as work and pensions secretary and Lisa Nandy will remain as culture secretary.
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The ministers to lose their jobs included Rachel Reeves, David Lammy, Darren Jones, Steve Reed, Peter Kyle, Richard Hermer, Liz Kendall, Jo Stevens and Hilary Benn.
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In his first speech outside Downing Street after being named prime minster, Andy Burnham said his first instruction will be to end rough sleeping. He said later this year, he will bring forward a new plan for Britain, “a 10-year plan”.
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In his final speech as PM, Keir Starmer said he’s leaving No 10 with “good grace” and a “smile”. He finished by saying Andy Burnham had his “full support”.
Responding to the announcement that Alex Norris has been appointed as justice secretary, Katie Kempen, CEO of charity Victim Support, said: “With millions of victims and survivors paying the price for a broken criminal justice system, the new Justice Secretary inherits a formidable challenge from day one.
“Strengthening support for victims and delivering their rights must be Alex Norris’s top priority. Shamefully, victims continue to routinely miss out on their basic rights while legislation designed to enforce them is gathering dust. The MoJ must act now to rectify this.
“Meanwhile, the abolition of Police and Crime Commissioners presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve how victims’ services are funded and delivered. The Justice Secretary must grasp this chance to ensure every victim can access independent, specialist support, wherever they live.”
Alex Norris is the new justice secretary and Dame Angela Eagle is the new environment secretary, Downing Street said.
Miatta Fahnbulleh has been appointed the energy secretary.
Wes Streeting has been appointed defence secretary.
Angela Rayner said she is “delighted” to be reappointed housing secretary, adding on X: “Andy Burnham’s vision of good growth in every postcode demands we build on the foundations we have already laid to bring the change we have promised.”
Charity Shelter has given its reaction to the appointment of Angela Rayner as housing secretary.
Sarah Elliott, its chief executive, said: “The Prime Minister has given Angela Rayner a clear mandate to roll out a council housing revolution and put an end to rough sleeping – now it’s her time to deliver.
“Having grown up in social housing, Rayner knows better than anyone that an affordable, decent home is the foundation for everything, giving people the building blocks they need to get on in life and setting children up to thrive.
“The new Secretary of State has a strong track record advocating for social housing – in choosing her the Prime Minister again shows he is serious about tackling the housing emergency. With child homelessness at a record high, Rayner must now pull every lever to get councils building again and deliver a new generation of social rent homes.”
Health minister Stephen Kinnock, the son of former Labour leader Neil Kinnock, has entered Downing Street.
Scotland Secretary Douglas Alexander has also walked into a busy No 10.
Lisa Nandy will remain as the culture secretary, Downing Street said.
Nandy told reporters she was “very” happy with her job as she left Downing Street smiling on Monday evening.
Prime minister Andy Burnham has spoken to French president Emmanuel Macron.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister began by setting out how he is looking forward to building on the strong UK-France relationship to deliver for people on both sides of the Channel.
“Turning to Ukraine, the two leaders discussed the need to work together to continue supporting Ukraine as it resists Russia’s full-scale invasion, including through co-chairing the Coalition of the Willing.
“On the Middle East, the two leaders agreed the need to continue efforts towards deescalation and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“They also discussed continuing the UK and France’s close co-operation on energy and defence, and the Prime Minister paid tribute to President Macron for his efforts to bring the Bayeux Tapestry to the UK, which underlined the UK and France’s enduring friendship.
“The two leaders look forward to speaking again and the Prime Minister welcoming President Macron to the United Kingdom at the earliest opportunity.”
On Politics Weekly, Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey look at how Andy Burnham will try to do things differently and who will be helping him in the cabinet.
Several other ministers and government figures have entered Downing Street in the past hour, including trade minister Chris Bryant, leader of the House of Lords Angela Smith, solicitor general Ellie Reeves, environment secretary Emma Reynolds and housing minister Matthew Pennycook.
Bridget Phillipson, who has been replaced as education secretary by Lucy Powell, will remain a cabinet member as minister for women and equalities.
Rayner back as housing secretary
Angela Rayner has been reappointed as the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government. She quit the role and her position as deputy prime minister last September after a row over stamp duty.
Lucy Powell is the new education secretary, replacing her Labour deputy leadership rival Bridget Phillipson.
Jonathan Reynolds has moved from chief whip to business secretary, replacing Peter Kyle. Anneliese Midgley is the new chief whip.
Wes Streeting, the former health secretary, has entered 10 Downing Street. Streeting had been seen as a potential leadership candidate but backed Burnham.
He is joined by the Home Office ministers Angela Eagle and Alex Norris, the former housing minister Miatta Fahnbulleh and the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander.

