Who's in Keir Starmer's cabinet?

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced his resignation. nearly two years after leading the Labour Party into power in July 2024.

Facing mounting pressure from his own MPs. cabinet, he will remain in office while the Labour Party selects its next leader.

Explore our interactive guide below to learn more about the key figures currently holding the levers of power in government.

Sir Keir Starmer has resigned as prime minister. leader of the Labour Party after pressure from within his party for him to stand down.

He says he will stay in office until the party chooses a new leader, before Parliament returns in September.

Sir Keir became the first Labour leader to oust a sitting Conservative government since Tony Blair’s landslide victory in 1997. when he led the party to its 2024 general election victory.

He said his successor would be inheriting a Britain that is stronger and fairer than two years ago. During his time in office the government has reduced NHS waiting lists. brought investment into the country - but the prime minister had also been forced into U-turns on welfare reform and plans to end winter fuel payments for most pensioners.

On the world stage he won praise for his dealings with US President Donald Trump. his continued support for Ukraine, although he faced pressure from some in Labour to be more critical of Israel over Gaza. However, his focus on global threats,. attempts to stabilise relations with Trump, led to criticism of him as "Never here Keir".He came under repeated fire for a robotic communication style that failed to cut through with the public as well as overseeing a merry-go-round of jobs at the top of government.Starmer trained as a barrister, specialising in human rights cases, and was director of public prosecutions from 2008-13 before becoming the MP for Holborn and St Pancras in north London.A lifelong Arsenal fan, he frequently describes himself as being from a "working class background" and often refers to the "pebble-dash semi" in Oxted, Surrey, where he grew up and that his dad was a toolmaker and his mum worked as a nurse.

He came under repeated fire for a robotic communication style that failed to cut through with the public as well as overseeing a merry-go-round of jobs at the top of government.Starmer trained as a barrister, specialising in human rights cases,. was director of public prosecutions from 2008-13 before becoming the MP for Holborn and St Pancras in north London.A lifelong Arsenal fan, he frequently describes himself as being from a "working class background" and often refers to the "pebble-dash semi" in Oxted, Surrey, where he grew up and that his dad was a toolmaker and his mum worked as a nurse.

Starmer trained as a barrister, specialising in human rights cases,. was director of public prosecutions from 2008-13 before becoming the MP for Holborn and St Pancras in north London.A lifelong Arsenal fan, he frequently describes himself as being from a "working class background" and often refers to the "pebble-dash semi" in Oxted, Surrey, where he grew up and that his dad was a toolmaker and his mum worked as a nurse.

A lifelong Arsenal fan, he frequently describes himself as being from a "working class background". often refers to the "pebble-dash semi" in Oxted, Surrey, where he grew up and that his dad was a toolmaker and his mum worked as a nurse.

David Lammy was appointed as deputy prime minister following Angela Rayner’s resignation for underpaying stamp duty when buying a flat.

Lammy is also lord chancellor and justice secretary, having previously been foreign secretary. His relationship with US vice president JD Vance has been key to maintaining US-UK relations following Starmer's refusal to engage with the US war on Iran.

Born to Guyanese parents in north London,. raised by his mother from the age of 12 after his father left them, he became the first black Briton to study a masters in law at Harvard.

At 27, he became parliament’s youngest MP when he was elected in Tottenham in 2000 before becoming a junior minister under Sir Tony Blair. Gordon Brown.

He described his appointment as deputy PM as the "honour of my life". said he was "determined to help make this country fairer, safer and better off".

Rachel Reeves is chancellor of the exchequer - the first woman appointed to the role.

Reeves, who served as Labour’s shadow chancellor from 2021, holds one of the most powerful positions in government. has faced pressure over how to keep firm limits on spending while sticking to manifesto pledges not to raise income tax, national insurance or VAT.

She was seen in tears in the Commons after the government had to abandon plans to cut welfare spending in the summer of 2025. prompting questions about her future in the role.

However, Starmer insisted the pair remained "in lockstep". that Reeves would remain chancellor until the next election "and for many years after".

Reeves grew up in south London. worked as an economist before being elected as the MP for Leeds West in 2010. She is now the MP for Leeds West and Pudsey.

Darren Jones was given the additional job of chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster days after taking on the newly created role of chief secretary to the prime minister.

His newest role involves running the Cabinet Office, the department that supports the prime minister. co-ordinates the government’s policies to deliver its agenda.

He was previously chief secretary to the Treasury, when his boss was the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves.

He became MP for Bristol North West in 2017. claimed in his maiden Commons speech to be the first "Darren" to have entered parliament.

Jones. a keen vegan cook who plays the saxophone, has described former Labour PM Sir Tony Blair as his "all time" hero MP.

Yvette Cooper became the foreign secretary in the reshuffle that followed Angela Raynor's resignation from the government, replacing David Lammy.

Cooper, who had been home secretary, described the new role as a "huge honour", adding that Russia's behaviour in Europe. the situation in Gaza meant UK diplomacy "has never been more important".

She was first elected as an MP for Yorkshire seat of Pontefract. Castleford in 1997 and went to serve as the first female chief secretary to the Treasury and later as work and pensions secretary in the Labour government.

After the 2010 election defeat for Labour, she took on the role of shadow home secretary. She now represents Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley.

Among other firsts in her political career, the former journalist became the first minister to take maternity leave,. she was one half of the first married couple in the cabinet - alongside her husband, former education secretary and Strictly Come Dancing contestant, Ed Balls.

Shabana Mahmood is the home secretary, after replacing Yvette Cooper when she moved to the Foreign Office.

Mahmood, who has a reputation among Labour MPs as a hardliner on immigration, is responsible for that brief in the role, along with national security. for policing in England and Wales.

A former national campaign co-ordinator. she oversaw Labour’s Batley & Spen by-election win in 2021 which some have credited with saving Starmer’s leadership following a defeat in Hartlepool months earlier.

Mahmood, who was previously the justice secretary, lays claim to being the first female Muslim MP - although she was elected in 2010 alongside Yasmin Qureshi. Rushanara Ali - because, she says, her count was the first completed on the night.

The Birmingham Ladywood MP represents the city where she was born. brought up with her twin brother, and has spoken of how her faith "drives me to public service".

Dan Jarvis became defence secretary after John Healey resigned in a dispute with the prime minister over funding for the military.

Jarvis has military experience himself - he was an officer in the Parachute Regiment, with an MBE for his service in Iraq. Afghanistan.

He left the military to stand in the Barnsley Central by-election in 2011, which he won. went on to hold several shadow front bench roles.

In 2018, he was elected as the first Mayor of South Yorkshire. In 2023, he became shadow security minister after leaving the mayoralty.

He was elected MP for Barnsley North in July 2024.

Steve Reed took over from Angela Rayner as secretary of state for housing, communities. local government following her resignation from the cabinet.

He was previously the environment, food. rural affairs secretary but he did shadow the communities and local government brief in opposition and was also the leader of Lambeth Council before becoming an MP.

The son of a print worker. a nurse, Reed grew up on the outskirts of London and has been Labour MP for Croydon North (now Streatham and Croydon North) since winning a by-election in 2012.

In 2018, Reed became the first Labour MP to pass a major act of Parliament since the party had left government in 2010, when his bill to protect people with mental ill health from violent restraint. tackle deaths in custody, known as Seni’s Law, became law.

James Murray was appointed health and social care secretary after the resignation of Wes Streeting.

He is seen as a Starmer loyalist. his previous job as Chief Secretary to the Treasury means he also has a close relationship with the Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

His experience in the Treasury will be key to managing the stretched budget of the NHS, tackling pressure to cut waiting times. resolve junior doctor strikes. Health Secretary is one of the biggest challenges in government. Labour will be judged on the success of its 10-year NHS transformation plan at the next general election.

Murray had NHS treatment for the rare autoimmune condition myasthenia gravis. vowed to "win the battle for the NHS" in his first speech to parliament when he became an MP in 2019.

A former deputy mayor of London, he has also worked as management consultant.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, who is also minister for women. equalities, has often spoken of her own childhood - of seeing "first hand, what happens when you have schools that are falling down".

Raised by her mother in a small terrace council house with rotting window frames. no upstairs heating in a former mining town near Sunderland, she was bullied at school and received free school meals.

But Phillipson credits "amazing teachers" for encouraging her to apply to Oxford, where she studied modern history.

She had joined Labour aged 15 and became its MP for Houghton and Sunderland South in 2010, aged 26. She has been a member of Sir Keir Starmer’s top team since he became Labour leader.

Children won’t get "a first-class education in second-class schools". she argued after hundreds of schools had to close as a result of crumbling concrete.

Ed Miliband is the secretary of state for energy security. net zero - a similar role to the one he held at the end of the last Labour government in 2010.

He remained committed to the issue of climate change during the party’s time in opposition. was one of the key supporters of its now scaled-back Green Prosperity Plan to invest in green industries.

Since the election he has spoken out against those urging the government to drop its net zero ambitions. insisted the party's green power transition will help secure social justice and national security.

Miliband has been the MP for Doncaster North since 2005 but has been at the centre of Labour politics for even longer - working for Labour MPs before the 1997 election win. as a special adviser to Gordon Brown when he became chancellor.

He is best known as a former Labour leader - having beaten his brother David, among others, in the leadership contest that followed the party’s 2010 general election defeat -. has also co-hosted the Reasons to be Cheerful podcast since 2017.

Pat McFadden replaced Liz Kendall as work. pensions secretary, but also took over the skills brief that had previously been part of the Department for Education.

He took over the department months after the party was forced to U-turn on extensive changes designed to reduce the welfare bill.

As the party’s national campaign co-ordinator McFadden was one of the masterminds behind Labour’s historic 2024 election victory, constantly stressing the need for message discipline ahead of the election. warning activists and MPs alike to ignore the opinion polls.

A former adviser to Sir Tony Blair, the Glasgow-born MP has represented the Wolverhampton South East constituency since 2005, serving as a business minister under Gordon Brown. in several shadow ministerial roles since then.

Before the latest move, McFadden was chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, responsible for running the Cabinet Office - the department that supports the prime minister. co-ordinates the government’s policies to deliver its agenda.

Peter Kyle replaced Jonathan Reynolds as the business and trade secretary.

Kyle, who was previously science, innovation. technology secretary, says “unlocking the benefits of artificial intelligence is personal” to him because the cutting edge medical scans now being developed could have saved his mother, who died of lung cancer which was detected too late.

The former Brighton Pride trustee had been a shadow minister since Starmer became leader. including a spell as shadow Northern Ireland secretary.

He became MP for Hove. Portslade in 2015, but faced a battle against deselection before the 2019 election for a perceived lack of loyalty to then leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Kyle, who struggled at school. says he was sometimes "humiliated" by teachers who did not know what to do with him, was diagnosed with severe dyslexia aged 25 and returned to school before completing a PhD.

Liz Kendall replaced Peter Kyle as science, innovation and technology secretary.

She is thought to be the first serving MP to have had a child through surrogacy. has spoken about her struggle to start a family, which included two miscarriages.

Kendall, who is seen as being on the right of the party, rose to prominence when she stood in the leadership election that followed the 2015 election defeat, losing to Jeremy Corbyn. securing just 4.5% of the vote.

But her pitch, which centred on the need for Labour to regain public trust on the economy. making the party electable, was a very similar strategy to the one Sir Keir Starmer has used to win Labour’s first election since 2005.

A former special adviser to Harriet Harman, Kendall has been the MP for Leicester West since 2010. was work and pensions secretary before her latest move.

Heidi Alexander became transport secretary following Louise Haigh’s resignation in November 2024.

The former Lewisham MP has previously been in charge of transport in London – having quit parliament in 2018 to become deputy mayor of London for transport.

She has spoken of her pride at helping to bring the Elizabeth line into service. of keeping the city’s transport network running during the pandemic.

Alexander returned to parliament as MP for Swindon South in July. was serving as a justice minister before taking on the transport brief.

She had been shadow health secretary under Jeremy Corbyn. quit the role in 2016 describing the shadow cabinet as “entirely dysfunctional”.

Emma Reynolds is secretary of state for environment, food. rural affairs, having replaced Steve Reed who is now housing secretary.

After her appointment in September 2025 Reynolds said cleaning up the UK's rivers, lakes. seas was one of her priorities in the role.

She previously served in Labour’s shadow cabinet as shadow secretary of state for housing. planning and shadow secretary of state for communities and local government).

She trained as a solicitor and worked in public policy before entering parliament. She was elected as MP for Wycombe in 2024. having previously served as MP for Wolverhampton North East from 2010 to 2019.

Former Labour leadership challenger Lisa Nandy is culture, media and sport secretary.

In the role she has begun negotiations with the BBC about how it will be funded in the future. has said she is thinking "quite radically and creatively" about alternatives to the "deeply regressive" licence fee.

Nandy stood against Sir Keir Starmer in the 2020 leadership race. was described as “refreshingly untribal” by one Tory MP who thought she was Labour’s best choice.

She finished third but her reward was to become shadow foreign secretary. Nandy later shadowed Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove before moving to international development.

As co-founder of the Centre for Towns think tank, Nandy has been a vocal champion of places like Wigan, which she has represented since 2010, arguing they have been overlooked in discussions on regional development. devolution.

Hilary Benn is Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

Benn is a veteran parliamentarian, who represented Leeds Central from 1999 to 2024 and is now MP for Leeds South.

He served in the cabinet under Labour prime ministers Sir Tony Blair. Gordon Brown and has been a leading Labour figure in opposition.

He has served as shadow foreign secretary and chairman of the Brexit select committee.

Benn is the son of veteran left-wing campaigner Tony Benn, who served in the cabinet under Labour prime ministers Harold Wilson. James Callaghan.

Douglas Alexander returned to the cabinet as Scotland secretary, having previously been in the cabinets of Gordon Brown. Tony Blair.

A former secretary of state for international development. for transport, Alexander lost his Paisley and Renfrewshire South seat to the SNP in one of the biggest shocks of the 2015 general election.

He was re-elected to parliament in 2024 as MP for Lothian East. was tipped for an immediate return to cabinet, but Sir Keir Starmer initially appointed him as a trade and economic security minister.

Alexander told the BBC he hadn’t missed “the game of politics” or the “brutality of social media”. had been asked to stand for re-election by local party members.

Cardiff East MP Jo Stevens is secretary of state for Wales.

The former solicitor was elected as an MP for Cardiff Central in 2015, having been a Labour member. activist for more than 30 years.

She is one of a number of MPs. including former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, known to have needed hospital treatment for Covid in 2020.

She lists her interests as real ale, good books, the arts. music and sport - she’s a member of Glamorgan County Cricket Club and a regular at Cardiff City FC and at Cardiff Rugby.

Baroness (Angela) Smith of Basildon is leader of the House of Lords.

The role. which she shadowed in opposition, sees her responsible for delivery of the government’s legislative programme in the Upper House.

She was an MP for Basildon throughout the last Labour government from 1997 to 2010, serving as a minister under Sir Tony Blair. Gordon Brown.

She became a life peer in the 2010 Dissolution Honours List and is also patron of an animal welfare charity.

Sir Alan Campbell is the leader of the House of Commons, replacing Lucy Powell.

In the role, he is responsible for delivering the government’s legislative programme, by working closely with the chief whip to manage Commons business, like motions. debates.

He was previously chief whip, responsible for making sure MPs vote in line with party policy.

Sir Alan has been MP for Tynemouth since 1997. was Sir Keir Starmer’s opposition chief whip, but he also has experience in the Government Whips’ Office under Sir Tony Blair.

The former history teacher was knighted in 2019.

Jonathan Reynolds is the chief whip in the House of Commons and will attend cabinet.

The job of chief whip is to ensure party discipline in the House of Commons. It means he is responsible for making sure MPs vote in line with party policy.

The son of a fireman, Reynolds grew up in Sunderland -. still supports the city’s football club - but he went to university in Manchester, where he joined the Labour Party and chose to remain after graduating.

Reynolds, who has described himself as a Christian socialist, has been the MP for Stalybridge. Hyde in Greater Manchester since 2010 - he had been an assistant to the constituency’s previous MP James Purnell.

Richard Hermer KC is attorney general - the chief legal adviser to the government - and attends cabinet.

It was a surprise appointment, since Emily Thornberry had shadowed the role in opposition,. because Hermer had no political or public profile before his appointment. He was given a life peerage to allow him to sit in the House of Lords.

He has more than 30 years of experience at the bar,. has focused on human rights, public and environmental law. He represented the families of those who died in the Grenfell Tower fire in a case. led to a settlement of £150m in 2023.

Hermer grew up in Cardiff, where his father was a Conservative councillor, and studied at the University of Manchester. He moved to London to join Doughty Street Chambers, where he worked alongside Keir Starmer. the pair have been friends since.

He is one of the most senior Jewish politicians in the country.

Baroness Chapman of Darlington is international development minister with responsibilities for Latin America and the Caribbean. She attends cabinet.

Her appointment followed the resignation of her predecessor. Anneliese Dodds, over the prime minister's cuts to the aid budget in order to fund an increase in defence spending.

The former Darlington MP was once Starmer's political adviser and ran his campaign to lead the Labour Party in 2020. She lost her lost North-East "red wall" seat in the 2019 general election.

She was awarded a life peerage by Starmer in 2020.

Lucy Rigby MP was appointed as Chief Secretary to the Treasury in May following Wes Streeting's resignation as health secretary.

Rigby, MP for Northampton North, had been economic secretary to the Treasury and previously held the role of solicitor general.

She was elected as a Labour MP in July 2024 and had previously worked as a solicitor.

Anna Turley serves as Labour party chair and minister without portfolio.

She has been promoted from the Whips Office. is replacing the chancellor's sister, Ellie Reeves, who has become solicitor general.

Turley was re-elected as MP for Redcar in North Yorkshire in 2024, having previously represented the constituency from 2015-19.