Opening summary
Prime minister Keir Starmer had wanted to carry out his reshuffle on a “slightly slower timetable”, PA reports, but it was “brought forward as a consequence of the former deputy prime minister resigning”, new chief secretary Darren Jones has said this morning, after Angela Rayner stepped down on Friday.
But there will not be an early election, Jones said. Asked about Reform UK leader Nigel Farage’s suggestion that Rayner’s resignation would open up internal Labour splits and prompt a general election as early as 2027, the chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster told Sky News:
Nigel Farage is wrong there. The Labour party is not going to split and there won’t be an early election.”
Rayner stood down from the government after the prime minister’s ethics adviser found she had breached the ministerial code over her underpayment of stamp duty on her £800,000 seaside flat. Sir Laurie Magnus found that Rayner had “acted with integrity and with a dedicated and exemplary commitment to public service”, but concluded she had breached the ministerial code over her tax affairs.
After it was put to Jones that the government was in crisis and “ripping it all up and starting again”, he told Sky News:
I was put into this new role as chief secretary to the prime minister. I’ve been alongside him this week in Number 10 and the prime minister was very clear on Monday that coming back into this new term, this was the start of the second chapter of the Labour government.
“The fact is, the prime minister had been planning to do a reshuffle on a slightly slower timetable, and started to think about putting the ministers he wanted in the places to really drive on delivering reform in line with the public’s priorities.”
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In further moves: David Lammy takes over from Rayner as deputy prime minister and is also appointed as the justice secretary.
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Yvette Cooper is the new foreign secretary and Shabana Mahmood becomes home secretary.
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Steve Reed takes over Rayner’s former housing brief while Peter Kyle is named business secretary and Liz Kendall is the new science secretary.
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Emma Reynolds will be environment secretary while Douglas Alexander will be Scotland secretary. Rachel Reeves retains her role as chancellor.
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Nigel Farage has said there is every chance of a general election in 2027 and declared at Reform’s conference in Birmingham that he will run on a pledge to ‘stop the boats’ within two weeks of entering No 10.
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Keir Starmer is likely to announce wider changes to his team today.
A junior ministerial reshuffle is now understood to be taking place, PA reports, as Starmer seeks to draw a line under the fallout from Rayner’s departure.
Speaking to broadcasters this morning, the chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, Darren Jones, dismissed suggestions that the rejig could delay the prime minister’s self-described “phase two” of government by moving senior figures to unfamiliar briefs.
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Updated at 10.41 BST
A man has been arrested on suspicion of assault and a dispersal order is in place in Epping after a flare was lit amid anti-social scenes in the town last night, police said.
According to Essex Police, the dispersal order covers the entirety of the city centre and surrounding areas, including Coopersale, Ivy Chimneys and Steward’s Green. The order was in place until 6am.
Police said the man who was arrested remains in custody.
Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow said in a statement: “We’ll continue to have a significant policing presence in the area this evening and our officers will be back on patrol over the weekend.
“Lighting flares in public spaces poses a clear and real risk to anyone nearby.
“They cannot be used to damage property or harass others, and anyone we identify in connection with those used tonight will be subject to arrest.”
Epping has been the site of repeated scenes of disorder in recent weeks, with multiple demonstrations outside the Bell Hotel in the town after an asylum seeker was charged with the alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl. He denied the charges and his trial began last week.
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Cabinet now ‘the strongest team’, says Darren Jones
Some more quotes from Darren Jones’ appearance on BBC Breakfast:
The cabinet is now “the strongest team” following a reshuffle and Angela Rayner’s resignation, Jones said.
Asked whether “phase two” of the Government was delayed because ministers had been moved to unfamiliar briefs, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster told BBC Breakfast: “No, I disagree with the premise of the question.
“Phase two started this week, back from the summer recess in the way the prime minister set out on Monday.”
He added: “Because of the former deputy prime minister’s resignation, the prime minister decided it was the decisive thing to do, to bring (the reshuffle) forward and to get it done on Friday, then to be able to move forward with the strongest team that we have around the Cabinet now leading on delivering the public’s priorities.”
Asked whether the team was stronger after Rayner’s departure, he said: “The Angela Rayner situation is different because of course she had to leave Government because she broke the ministerial code.
“But, look, all of us in our first year in Government have come in and gotten on with the job of running the country.”
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Updated at 09.42 BST
Dozens of firefighters are battling a blaze at the old BBC Television Centre in London’s White City, PA reports.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said about 100 firefighters and 15 fire engines had been called to the nine-storey building on Wood Lane, west London.
Photos from the scene show crews at the Helios Building, the BBC’s former headquarters, which has since been converted into flats and a restaurant.
The fire service said in a statement: “The fire is currently affecting floors towards the top of the building.
“A restaurant, external decking and ducting is currently alight. An unknown number of flats have also potentially been affected by the fire.”
One person was treated by paramedics then discharged at the scene, London Ambulance Service said. The cause of the fire is not known.
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Farage tax affairs ‘irrelevant’, says Tice
Nigel Farage’s tax affairs are “irrelevant” to voters, according to Reform UK MP Richard Tice, PA reports.
Tice was asked whether the Reform UK leader would address questions over his partner buying his constituency home in Clacton.
He told Times Radio: “I’m pleased to confirm I’m not his tax adviser. You’ll have to speak to them.
“It’s irrelevant to what voters are concentrating on, which is our messaging, which is the message of hope. We can get out of this nightmare that we’re in.”
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Updated at 09.43 BST
Leader of the opposition, Kemi Badenoch said of the reshuffle yesterday:
“Phase 2 of Starmer’s government didn’t even last three days.
“He was too weak to fire the deputy prime minister, even after he was told she broke the ministerial code, and now he’s shuffling deckchairs around on his sinking government.”
She has not said anything since, and no senior Conservatives are yet to speak this morning on the matter.
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Updated at 09.43 BST
Darren Jones denied there was instability in the Labour government amidst the shuffle brought on by Angela Rayner’s resignation, and said it was “quite normal” for administrations to have a reshuffle around this time.
Asked whether he understood that reshuffle could be seen by voters as a sign of instability, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster told BBC Breakfast: “It’s not instability insofar as the outcomes that we’re delivering are the same.”
He added: “Look, I think it’s quite normal for governments to have a reshuffle about this time coming into government.”
Jones had said the reshuffle was due to take place on a “slightly slower timetable” but was brought forward by Rayner’s resignation following the finding that she’d broken the ministerial code.
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Opening summary
Prime minister Keir Starmer had wanted to carry out his reshuffle on a “slightly slower timetable”, PA reports, but it was “brought forward as a consequence of the former deputy prime minister resigning”, new chief secretary Darren Jones has said this morning, after Angela Rayner stepped down on Friday.
But there will not be an early election, Jones said. Asked about Reform UK leader Nigel Farage’s suggestion that Rayner’s resignation would open up internal Labour splits and prompt a general election as early as 2027, the chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster told Sky News:
Nigel Farage is wrong there. The Labour party is not going to split and there won’t be an early election.”
Rayner stood down from the government after the prime minister’s ethics adviser found she had breached the ministerial code over her underpayment of stamp duty on her £800,000 seaside flat. Sir Laurie Magnus found that Rayner had “acted with integrity and with a dedicated and exemplary commitment to public service”, but concluded she had breached the ministerial code over her tax affairs.
After it was put to Jones that the government was in crisis and “ripping it all up and starting again”, he told Sky News:
I was put into this new role as chief secretary to the prime minister. I’ve been alongside him this week in Number 10 and the prime minister was very clear on Monday that coming back into this new term, this was the start of the second chapter of the Labour government.
“The fact is, the prime minister had been planning to do a reshuffle on a slightly slower timetable, and started to think about putting the ministers he wanted in the places to really drive on delivering reform in line with the public’s priorities.”
-
In further moves: David Lammy takes over from Rayner as deputy prime minister and is also appointed as the justice secretary.
-
Yvette Cooper is the new foreign secretary and Shabana Mahmood becomes home secretary.
-
Steve Reed takes over Rayner’s former housing brief while Peter Kyle is named business secretary and Liz Kendall is the new science secretary.
-
Emma Reynolds will be environment secretary while Douglas Alexander will be Scotland secretary. Rachel Reeves retains her role as chancellor.
-
Nigel Farage has said there is every chance of a general election in 2027 and declared at Reform’s conference in Birmingham that he will run on a pledge to ‘stop the boats’ within two weeks of entering No 10.
Share