Prime Minister Keir Starmer was forced to make changes to his top team by Angela Rayner’s resignation amid a stamp duty scandal, but has ended up using the opportunity to implement a major reshuffle at No 10 too. Key roles have been handed out to ministers on Labour’s right flank, who have been tasked with implementing phase two of the Labour government’s “plan for change”: “delivery, delivery, delivery”.
According to No 10, phase one – fixing the foundations – is complete. It can now move beyond repairing the wreckage left by the Conservatives and onto delivering core policy goals. In shifting focus, Starmer’s hope is that the government can convincingly demonstrate “real change” to the electorate in time for the next election. But he is also aiming to consolidate his team’s grip over the government machine.
