Andy Burnham appoints Wes Streeting as defence secretary: Recap

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy JON BRADY, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER and PATRICK HARRINGTON, UK NEWS REPORTER and LETTICE BROMOVSKY, NEWS REPORTER Updated: 00:18 BST, 21 July 2026

Andy Burnham has wasted no time reshaping the Government, bringing in a host of allies and making sweeping changes to Keir Starmer’s former Cabinet on his first day as Prime Minister.Wes Streeting has made a dramatic return to Cabinet as Defence Secretary after quitting Mr Starmer’s government, while former defence chief John Healey has been handed the role of Chancellor.Ed Miliband has been moved to Foreign Secretary, with Shabana Mahmood remaining as Home Secretary, while a string of senior Labour figures have been promoted, moved or axed in a major Downing Street overhaul.Including former transport secretary Louise Haigh, who has been brought in as Chancellor to the Duchy of Lancaster.Pat McFadden has retained his position as Work and Pensions Secretary, Lisa Nandy has been kept on as Culture Secretary, and Yvette Cooper has been shuffled to Health Secretary.Angela Rayner has also returned to Cabinet as the Housing Secretary, and Jonathan Reynolds has been appointed as Business Secretary.While Deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell has been appointed Education Secretary - replacing Bridget Phillipson, who has been demoted to Minister for Women and Equalities.Key Starmer allies Rachel Reeves, the former chancellor, and David Lammy, the Justice Secretary, Deputy Prime Minister and one-time Foreign Secretary, both signalled they will not be serving in Burnham's Cabinet.This live blog has now closed. Key Updates22:3022:1721:5020:30Round up of todays movementsThere have been 15 new additions to the cabinet 12 members of Starmer's cabinet were kept on, with seven staying in the same post, and five getting new jobsThere are now three new positions that will attend cabinet - AI minister, Intergovernmental Relations Minister and Housing MinisterStreeting pledges to give military the 'resources they need'Wes Streeting has said he will 'ensure our armed forces have the resources they need' - in his first comments since becoming defence secretary.The former health secretary – who quit the government in May in a bid to oust the PM and become Labour leader himself – has been appointed to the cabinet by Andy Burnham.Breaking:Trump reveals details of his call with Burnham Donald Trump has revealed details of his first phone call with new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, saying the pair discussed trade, defence and the long-standing relationship between the UK and the US.Mr Burnham spoke to the US President shortly after entering Downing Street, with the conversation marking his first call with a foreign leader as Prime Minister.Writing on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said: I had a very good conversation with the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Andy Burnham.We discussed many subjects, including the outstanding relationship we have had with the UK. We will be meeting in the not too distant future for topics of mutual interest.The Prime Minister has got a big job ahead of him, but he will be able to do it and, of course, the U.S.A. will be there to help!We discussed North Sea Oil, Trade, the Military Alliance, Demining of the Hormuz Strait, and many other topics. The call was interesting, and went very well.I wished Prime Minister Burnham, GOOD LUCK AND GODSPEED!Breaking:Final positions handed out Emma Reynolds will be the Chief Secretary to the TreasuryHamish Falconer is the Minister for Intergovernmental Relations and European RelationsSir Alan Campbell is the House of Commons LeaderBaroness Angela Smith is the House of Lords LeaderMatthew Pennycook will be the Minister for Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentBreaking:Rachel Reeves' sister takes top government role in Burnham reshuffle Ellie Reeves has been appointed as Andy Burnham's Attorney General on the same day the former Chancellor lost her job. She will replace Lord Hermer as part of Andy Burnham's reshuffle.Although the role is not formally a Cabinet position, the Attorney General attends Cabinet meetings to provide legal advice to ministers.The appointment comes after Rachel Reeves stepped down from the Cabinet earlier on Monday to return to the back benches. Reports suggested the former Chancellor turned down an offer of a more junior ministerial role in Mr Burnham's administration.Breaking:Burnham appoints UK's first ever Minister for AI Andy Burnham has appointed Kanishka Narayan as the UK's first ever Minister for AI.Breaking:Heidi Alexander is reappointed as Transport SecretaryHeidi Alexander has held the position since November 2024. In 2018 Ms Alexander resigned her seat to become Deputy Mayor of London for Transport where she remained until 2021. Then in the 2024 general election Ms Alexander was elected the MP for Swindon South. Breaking:Five more positions are filled Alex Norris has been made the Justice Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh will be the Energy and Net Zero SecretaryStephen Kinnock has been appointed as Wales SecretaryChris Bryant has been appointed Northern Ireland SecretaryDouglas Alexander has been reappointed as Scotland SecretaryBreaking:Wes Streeting appointed as Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has returned to the Cabinet after being appointed Defence Secretary by new Prime Minister Andy Burnham.The former health secretary quit Sir Keir Starmer's frontbench during the Labour leadership turmoil, saying he no longer had confidence in the then-prime minister and considering his own leadership bid.But after it became apparent that Mr Burnham was emerging as the frontrunner, Mr Streeting opted against entering the contest and instead backed his colleague's campaign.In his new role, he will oversee the Government's plans for defence investment, including work on boosting UK defence spending and delivering the Defence Investment Plan.Rayner: 'I'm delighted to be back - now with more drive'Angela Rayner has heralded her return to the Cabinet by promising to 'renewed drive and determination to put power back in people's hands'.STEPHEN DAISLEY: Louise Haigh, the convicted fraudster who's now Burnham's Enforcer. And beware, her hair may no longer be deep red, but her politics still are...By Stephen Daisley, Scottish Daily Mail sketch writerChancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is a grand and stately title but the office tends to be whatever the minister makes of it.And all the signs are that Louise Haigh will exploit it for all it's worth – in handing such a fierce and loyal ally control of the all-powerful Cabinet Office, our new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has made clear what her real title is: The Enforcer.From Burnham's perspective, this appointment makes perfect sense. He and the MP for Sheffield Heeley first met a decade ago and the two soon realised they shared a desire to move the party on from the centrism of the Blair years.She proved her worth to Burnham as a pivotal player in the long-term plot to oust Sir Keir Starmer, and it was she who managed the future PM's by-election campaign in Makerfield, the emphatic result of which set the stage for his capture of the Labour leadership and arrival in Downing Street.Read the rest of Stephen Daisley's comment piece here: