Stephen Kinnock has been moved on from his brief covering immigration, one of the new government’s key priorities, taking on a new role in the Health and Social Care Department.
Nick Thomas-Symonds has not been given a Cabinet role after four years in the shadow cabinet and now holds a senior ministerial position overseeing European relations.
The prime minister plucked both Sir Stephen Timms and Dame Diana Johnson from the backbenches and installed them in the departments they had been shadowing as committee chairs in the last parliament.
Dame Diana, the former chair of the Home Affairs Committee, becomes a minister in the Home Office; and Sir Stephen returns to government as a Work and Pensions Minister, a role he held in the Blair government.
His appointment means three current MPs who served in Tony Blair’s Cabinet are now in government – the others being Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn and Business Minister Douglas Alexander.
Another Blair-era returnee is Lord Livermore, who worked as a special advisor to Gordon Brown during his time as chancellor, who becomes Financial Secretary to the Treasury.
Maria Eagle and Dame Angela Eagle, who made history as the first twins to serve in government at the same time under Gordon Brown, both return as ministers. Dame Angela becomes Home Office minister, while Ms Eagle will serve in the Ministry of Defence.
Sir Keir’s new ministerial appointments continue to provide some surprise announcements, with roles for experts with no previous connection to his shadow cabinet.
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill, chairman of Network Rail, will be a transport minister. Lord Hendy, who previously led Transport for London (TfL) under Ken Livingstone, has served in the House of Lords as an independent crossbench peer since 2022.
His appointment follows the earlier appointments of ex-government chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance and head of the Prison Reform Trust James Timpson as ministers.
Heidi Alexander returned to the Commons on Thursday after six years as deputy mayor of London – and has been instantly appointed a justice minister.
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
