Andy Burnham has named a substantial new ministerial team after being formally appointed prime minister at Buckingham Palace, initiating a decisive break with the previous administration.
Immediate changes at the top
The reshuffle removes several high-profile ministers associated with the prior leadership and elevates allies to central roles as Burnham seeks to implement what he described in his first address outside No 10 as a moment to transform Britain. Among the departures are Rachel Reeves (chancellor), David Lammy (deputy prime minister and justice secretary), Steve Reed (housing) and Peter Kyle (business).
“make this moment a circuit breaker for Britain” and to bring forward “the biggest changes in the last 40 years, a new political model and a new economic model”.
Key appointments announced by No 10 include John Healey as chancellor of the exchequer and Ed Miliband as foreign secretary. Shabana Mahmood remains home secretary. Burnham has also promoted trusted allies to senior coordination and enforcement posts, signalling an administration built around his close team.
Who moves where: principal portfolios
The line-up consolidates Burnham’s control over both economic and domestic policy direction while reshaping the government’s approach to external affairs.
- Prime Minister: Andy Burnham
- Chancellor: John Healey
- Foreign Secretary: Ed Miliband
- Home Secretary: Shabana Mahmood
- First Secretary of State / Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster: Louise Haigh
| Departed | New or retained |
|---|---|
| Rachel Reeves | John Healey (Chancellor) |
| David Lammy | Ed Miliband (Foreign Secretary) |
| Steve Reed | Angela Rayner (Housing Secretary) |
Institutional and political context
The scale of the changes underlines Burnham’s ambition to mark a distinct policy and personnel reset. Installing a new chancellor is particularly significant: it hands control of fiscal policy and economic strategy to a minister expected to work closely with the prime minister’s office. Placing Ed Miliband in charge of the foreign office signals a move to a seasoned figure in international affairs, whose priorities may shape the government's external posture.
Several promotions reward long-standing allies. Louise Haigh has been given a senior coordinating role, while figures such as Anneliese Midgley have been raised to party management positions in the Commons. The composition of the new cabinet therefore reflects both competence and political proximity to the prime minister.
Immediate consequences and next steps
In the near term the appointments will require swift handovers in departments handling complex files — from public finances to energy security and international diplomacy. The government will face scrutiny over how rapidly the new ministers can assume responsibility and deliver on Burnham’s pledge of substantial reform.
Parliamentary focus will now turn to the first statements and legislative priorities this cabinet advances, and to how rival parties respond to a government asserting a sharp change of direction after the previous administration’s exit.
