Andy Burnham’s first cabinet picks as prime minister have left many Independent readers distinctly underwhelmed, with many commenters pointing out that his new top team looks a lot like the old one.
John Healey’s move to chancellor, Ed Miliband’s promotion to foreign secretary and Shabana Mahmood staying on as home secretary have all drawn scrutiny, with several readers arguing the reshuffle amounts to a reordering of familiar faces rather than a fresh start.
Some pointed out that, bar Rachel Reeves and David Lammy, most of the top team served under Sir Keir Starmer too. Others went further, framing the changes as the spoils of a Labour “coup” rather than a genuine changing of the guard.
Many also took aim at the suitability of the ministers to their new briefs. Yvette Cooper’s move to health and Wes Streeting’s to defence have both been queried on the grounds neither has direct experience of the field, while Miliband’s record was seen by some as too light on diplomacy and national security for the Foreign Office.
Here’s what you had to say:
Playing a game of musical chairs with the same tired faces is not a good start. I had hopes Burnham would make a clean break from the Blairites/Starmerites, but frankly, and disappointingly, he hasn’t. The ones in are largely the ones who were in before – with the exception of Rachel Reeves, who tells us she turned down a high-ranking job, and David Lammy. Have the Labour Party got no emerging talent, even though the National Executive were dictatorial about who was allowed to stand?
Most people would be glad to see the back of Reeves, whose only ability to manage the country’s finances was to raise taxes, left, right and centre, regardless of impact.
Maybe keeping Mahmood on is a cunning plan to head off Reform criticism on immigration, in the same way he’s handling North Sea oil and gas? I don’t love these moves, but Reform needs to be stopped at all costs.
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Sorry to see Reeves go. She’s had to work extremely hard to bring the country back from the brink, and I think she’s done a good job – it wasn’t her fault the country was left bankrupt. Hard choices had to be made, and she made them despite knowing everyone would pile in. It’s a pity that all those same voices stayed silent when the Tories were in power.
A bizarre choice, and someone who is likely to be entirely dictated to by the Treasury. Burnham has made missteps in not making Miliband chancellor, and not exorcising Mahmood from government.
Now we begin to see who the backstabbers were, as those in the coup are rewarded. Healey began it and gets a top job, along with Miliband, Mahmood and others. Burnham’s rise was not an accident – it was plotted.
John Healey does not even have an ‘O’ level in economics! Some choice for chancellor! Now the new defence secretary can spend whatever he wants instead of seeking an end to the Ukraine war!
Yvette Cooper knows nothing about medicine, and Wes Streeting knows nothing about the military. Both these cabinet posts require knowledge, yet it seems ignorance rules.
Is this a joke? It’s the same gang just sitting in different seats on the same broken-down bus! The handful of “outs” are those Burnham couldn’t even sustain.
Miliband is a rather odd choice for foreign secretary. To the best of my knowledge, he has little experience in diplomacy or national security, nor much direct experience of handling the kind of challenges posed by Russia, China or the Middle East. At a time of international instability, the role arguably needs someone with a much stronger background in foreign affairs.
Healey seems like a good choice. With Putin so active, a strong defence force and a strong Nato are obviously desirable. Miliband zipping around the world seems sensible too. I regret Darren Jones being dropped – I thought he was one of the best.
Phillipson retaining the equalities brief is bad news for the LGBTQ+ community.
We used to be the best country in Europe for LGBTQ+ rights, safety and equality. Now we’re 22nd.
So far, a very sensible choice to put an experienced man in the Treasury and keep Shabana Mahmood working on the boats issue. Competence with the maths, no quarter for bogus refugees, and developing a new energy source all make sense.
I am pleased that Miliband is no longer energy secretary, but I shall miss his regular encounters in the Commons with his opposite number, Claire Coutinho – it was a pleasure watching him squirm under her forensic questioning.
Some comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity.
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