Major changes in top ministerial roles after cabinet reshuffle
New Secretaries of State appointed at DEFRA and DSIT.
Following the resignation of Angela Rayner as Housing Secretary and Deputy PM on Friday 5 September, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a series of new appointments and job switches within cabinet. Many of these changes impact departments important to IOM3 communities.
For example, Emma Reynolds will take up the position of Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Reynolds is new to the cabinet, having previously served as Economic Secretary to the Treasury. She will take over from Steve Reed, who has been appointed the new Housing Secretary.
In addition, Liz Kendall was announced as the new Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, having previously served as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. Kendall is taking over from the previous Science Secretary, Peter Kyle, who has been moved to Business Secretary.
Bridget Phillipson will remain in the position of Secretary of State for Education; however, it is understood that the skills brief is being moved from the Department of Education to the remit of the Department for Work and Pensions. The latter will be headed up by the newly appointed Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Pat McFadden.
In junior ministerial positions, Lord Vallance will take on Minister of State in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, while maintaining his current role as Minister of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Moreover, Michael Shanks will move from his position as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy, having been appointed Minister of State jointly in the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Finally, in a major development, former Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, former Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and former Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood have swapped roles. Mahmood will take over as Home Secretary, Cooper has been appointed Foreign Secretary, and Lammy will become Justice Secretary, as well as taking over from Rayner as Deputy PM.
The full list of new appointments is available on the UK government website.
To learn more about the structure of the UK government and how these positions impact materials, minerals and mining, see our member-exclusive policy explainer on this topic below.
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