Politics
Watch Cabinet members arrive for Andy Burnham's first meeting as Angela Rayner makes return
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Watch Cabinet members arrive for Andy Burnham's first meeting as Angela Rayner makes return Andy Burnham will host his first Cabinet meeting since becoming Prime Minister today, following a huge overhaul which saw Angela Rayner return and John Healey appointed Chancellor Andy Burnham will chair his first Cabinet meeting today after an overhaul which saw many of Keir Starmer's allies dispatched to the backbenches. New Chancellor John Healey will take his seat back at the top table, just weeks...
Watch Cabinet members arrive for Andy Burnham's first meeting as Angela Rayner makes return
Andy Burnham will host his first Cabinet meeting since becoming Prime Minister today, following a huge overhaul which saw Angela Rayner return and John Healey appointed Chancellor
Andy Burnham will chair his first Cabinet meeting today after an overhaul which saw many of Keir Starmer's allies dispatched to the backbenches.
New Chancellor John Healey will take his seat back at the top table, just weeks after he dramatically quit as Defence Secretary. In an extraordinary attack on his predecessor Rachel Reeves and Mr Starmer, he accused the Treasury of failing to provide the funds needed to defend the nation. He is now in charge of that department, while Wes Streeting - who also quit last month in protest over Mr Starmer 's leadership- takes on his old job.
Ed Miliband will attend as Foreign Secretary for the first time, while Shabana Mahmood remains in post as Home Secretary, a week after setting out sweeping changes to the asylum system. In a wave of changes announced late yesterday, Yvette Cooper - who has previously led the Home Office and the Foreign Office - was shifted to Health Secretary.
Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Louise Haigh and Education Secretary Lucy Powell are among those returning to the Cabinet. New faces include Mr Burnham's allies Anneliese Midgley and Energy Security Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh.
For a full guide to the new Cabinet, click here
The Prime Minister, who took office on Monday, pledged to set out the biggest changes the UK has seen in 40 years. In a speech outside No10, he said: "Let us make this the moment when Britain starts to believe again, the moment we bring back hope.."
Those remaining in the same jobs as before include Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and Pat McFadden, who continues to lead the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
But this will be the first Cabinet meeting since Labour came to power that will not include Rachel Reeves, David Lammy, Peter Kyle or Liz Kendall. They were removed in one of Mr Burnham's first acts as Prime Minister, along with Starmer allies Steve Reed and Lord Richard Hermer.
On his first day, Mr Burnham said he would be seeking to tackle rough sleeping, stating in his first speech: "I will soon go through that door behind me and issue my first instruction to end rough sleeping in our country. It's about putting the right values and the right standards at the heart of government."
And early on Tuesday morning the government announced an £850million tax cut on energy bills to help ease the cost-of-living crisis. From October 1, energy bills will be VAT free, saving households around £45.
The government said move will be funded in part by scrapping Mr Starmer's digital ID project, which had been estimated to cost around £600 million-a-year over three years.
The Prime Minister said: "I said I wanted to give people breathing space, and that's what I'm announcing on my second day as Prime Minister. We're taking immediate action to cut taxes on energy bills, put more money in people's pockets and bring back hope."
And Mr Healey said: "For too long, too many people have struggled with the cost of living. Today's energy tax cut will give families some breathing room on bills, and provide some reassurance this winter.
"This measure is funded this year from cancelling the digital ID programme, and it will help bring down inflation while supporting households in every postcode."
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