Starmer ministry

The Starmer ministry began on 5 July 2024 when Keir Starmer was invited by King Charles III to form a government, following the resignation of Rishi Sunak after the 2024 general election.

Background

Starmer formed his government throughout 5–7 July, after his party won 411 seats in the 2024 general election, with the new Cabinet meeting for the first time on 6 July, and the new Parliament being called to meet on 9 July. It has been noted for its female political representation, appointing women to a record half of the Cabinet (including Rachel Reeves as the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer in British history) and three of the five top positions in the British government, including Angela Rayner as Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Starmer also appointed experts: scientist Patrick Vallance as Minister of State for Science, rehabilitation campaigner James Timpson as Minister of State for Prisons, Parole and Probation, and international law expert Richard Hermer as Attorney General for England and Wales. The government includes a few ministers from the New Labour governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including Hilary Benn, Yvette Cooper, David Lammy, Ed Miliband and Douglas Alexander in the Cabinet, and Jacqui Smith and Stephen Timms as junior ministers.

Cabinet

July 2024 – September 2025

NB * Also appointed to the non-government role of Chair of the Labour Party.

Changes

Changes from Starmer's final Shadow Cabinet to Cabinet.

• Thangam Debbonaire (Shadow Culture Secretary) lost her seat and Lisa Nandy was appointed to Cabinet in her place.
• Nandy's previous role (Shadow International Development Cabinet Minister) was a full member of Shadow Cabinet despite the department having merged into the Foreign Office under the previous government (not reformed by Starmer). Anneliese Dodds was appointed to attend Cabinet as Minister of State (Development).
• Dodds was also appointed Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities), while Bridget Phillipson was appointed to the more senior role of Minister for Women and Equalities. Dodds had served in Shadow Cabinet as Chair of the Labour Party and Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary.
• Ellie Reeves' previous role (Deputy National Campaign Coordinator) has no government equivalent. She was appointed to succeed Dodds as Chair of the Labour Party (a non-ministerial role). She was also appointed Minister of State in the Cabinet Office (Minister without Portfolio), but did not initially attend Cabinet.
• Jonathan Ashworth (Shadow Paymaster General) lost his seat. Nick Thomas-Symonds (Shadow Minister without Portfolio) was appointed Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office (Minister for the Constitution and European Union Relations), but will not attend Cabinet.
• Emily Thornberry (Shadow Attorney General) was not appointed to Cabinet nor any junior ministerial role and returns to the backbenches. Richard Hermer was appointed Attorney General from outside parliament and will be given a life peerage to serve.
• Hermer, Sir Alan Campbell (Government Chief Whip in the House of Commons) and Darren Jones (Chief Secretary to the Treasury) were appointed to attend Cabinet. These portfolios had been full members of the Shadow Cabinet.
• Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Government Chief Whip in the House of Lords) had been a member of the Shadow Cabinet as Chief Whip of the Labour Party in the House of Lords, but he was not appointed to Cabinet while remaining in the same role.

Subsequent changes.

• Pat McFadden was appointed to the additional role of Minister for Intergovernmental Relations on 5 September 2024.
• Louise Haigh resigned as Transport Secretary on 28 November 2024, and was replaced by Heidi Alexander the following day.
• Ellie Reeves was promoted to attend Cabinet in her existing role as Minister of State in the Cabinet Office (Minister without Portfolio) on 2 December 2024.
• Anneliese Dodds resigned as Minister of State (Development) and Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities) on 28 February 2025. Dodds was replaced in her Cabinet-attending Development role by Jenny Chapman, Baroness Chapman of Darlington, and in her Women and Equalities role by Jacqui Smith, Baroness Smith of Malvern.

September 2025 – present

NB * Also appointed to the non-government role of Chair of the Labour Party.

Changes

• Darren Jones was appointed to the new role of Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister on 1 September 2025 and subsequently took over two roles from Pat McFadden, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 5 September 2025 and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations on 6 September 2025.
• James Murray replaced Darren Jones as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
• Angela Rayner resigned.
• David Lammy moved to be Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, replacing Shabana Mahmood. He was also appointed Deputy Prime Minister, replacing Angela Rayner.
• Yvette Cooper moved to be Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, replacing David Lammy.
• Shabana Mahmood moved to be Secretary of State for the Home Department, replacing Yvette Cooper.
• Steve Reed moved to be Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, replacing Angela Rayner.
• Emma Reynolds was appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, replacing Steve Reed.
• Sir Alan Campbell was appointed Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons, replacing Lucy Powell who left the government.
• Jonathan Reynolds was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Government Chief Whip in the House of Commons, replacing Sir Alan Campbell.
• Peter Kyle moved to be Secretary of State for Business and Trade and President of the Board of Trade, replacing Jonathan Reynolds.
• Liz Kendall moved to be Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, replacing Peter Kyle.
• Pat McFadden moved to be Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, replacing Liz Kendall.
• Douglas Alexander was appointed Secretary of State for Scotland, replacing Ian Murray who moved to be Minister of State in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (Murray will no longer attend Cabinet).
• Anna Turley was appointed Minister of State in the Cabinet Office (Minister without Portfolio), replacing Ellie Reeves who moved to be Solicitor General (Reeves will no longer attend Cabinet).

Non-ministerial changes (alongside reshuffle):

• Anna Turley also replaced Ellie Reeves as Chair of the Labour Party.
• Minouche Shafik, Baroness Shafik joined as an economic adviser.
• James Lyons departed as strategic communications director.
• Nin Pandit departed as Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Subsequent changes.

• Nick Thomas-Symonds was promoted to attend Cabinet in his existing role as Paymaster General,<br>Minister for the Cabinet Office (Minister for the Constitution and European Union Relations) on 2 December 2025.

List of ministers

Prime Minister and Cabinet Office

Departments of state

Law officers

Parliament

Non-ministerial appointments

Parliamentary Private Secretaries

In July 2025, analysis by LabourList and PLMR suggested that there were 38 Parliamentary Private Secretaries (PPSs). On 11 September 2025, an updated PPS list was issued following the reshuffle. an updated list of Parliamentary Private Secretaries was published on GOV.UK.

Prime Minister's Office

Church Commissioner

Departures from the Starmer ministry

This is a list of departures from the Starmer ministry since forming a government on 6 July 2024. It does not include ministers who left government as part of the 2025 British cabinet reshuffle which followed the resignation of Angela Rayner.

Ministerial departures

Non-ministerial departures

Notes

References