Andy Burnham’s cabinet – who’s in and who’s out as Healey becomes chancellor and Rayner returns
John Healey has been appointed chancellor and Ed Miliband has become the new foreign secretary as new prime minister Andy Burnham finalises his new cabinet appointments.
Shabana Mahmood will remain home secretary after she and Mr Miliband had been tipped as the leading candidates for the Treasury.
These ministers will make up the top team in his new government, helping to deliver the policy agenda that Mr Burnham sets out.
Louise Haigh, who managed Mr Burnham’s Makerfield campaign, will be first secretary of state, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and minister for the Cabinet Office.
Meanwhile, Rachel Reeves and David Lammy are among several senior ministers leaving government after Sir Keir Starmer tendered his resignation to the King earlier on Monday.
Ahead of the major reshuffle, business secretary Peter Kyle and housing secretary Steve Reed also resigned from government.
Here are the Labour MPs who have taken the top jobs in Mr Burnham’s new cabinet:
In a move that has surprised many, John Healey has been appointed as chancellor by Andy Burnham. The MP for Wentworth since Labour’s landslide 1997 general election victory, the Treasury appointment is the most senior in a long line of ministerial positions for the veteran politician.
His tenure as defence secretary lasted from July 2024 to June 2026, when he dramatically quit over disagreements with the government’s defence spending plans.
Mr Healey’s decision to resign came at an incredibly bruising time for Sir Keir Starmer, who had already faced calls from several resigning ministers to go over Labour’s disastrous local election results.
Mr Healey and Mr Burnham share a long professional history dating back to their days as cabinet colleagues under Gordon Brown in the late 2000s. He is thought to have been picked by former Manchester mayor for No 11 for his national security credibility and popularity amongst MPs on Labour’s right.
Angela Rayner has regained the position of housing secretary just under a year after resigning from the role over issues around unpaid stamp duty.
The Ashton-under-Lyne MP has been a high-profile figure in British politics for most of her 11 years in the role after being appointed shadow secretary of state under Jeremy Corbyn just a year after her election.
In May this year, she was cleared of wrongdoing by HMRC over her tax affairs, clearing the path for her to rejoin the cabinet.
Following Labour’s disastrous local election results in May, she issued a “last chance” warning to Sir Keir, telling him that blocking Mr Burnham from standing in the by-election in Gorton and Denton was a “mistake”.
Jonathan Reynolds has been appointed as business secretary in Andy Burnham’s cabinet, taking over from Peter Kyle.
The Stalybridge MP initially held the role from July 2024 to September 2025, when he was shifted to chief whip by Sir Keir.
He now returns to the expanded role of secretary of state for business, innovation, science and trade following the abolition of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology by Mr Burnham.
Former Labour leader Ed Miliband has been promoted to foreign secretary.
Energy secretary since 2024, his recent focus has been on green initiatives and energy independence, especially in light of price shocks like those caused by the wars in Ukraine and Iran.
His approach is characterised by the establishment of ‘Great British Energy’ last year, a publicly owned energy investment company which works with the private sector to fund clean energy and community projects.
Mr Miliband and Mr Burnham have a long-standing political relationship, both sitting in Gordon Brown’s cabinet in the late 2000s, and running against each other in the 2010 Labour leadership election.
Shabana Mahmood retains the position of home secretary despite strong briefings that she was bound for the Treasury.
The Birmingham MP has risen quickly through the Labour party ranks since her election in 2010, holding several shadow front bench positions from the early days of her time in Parliament.
Ms Mahmood was appointed shadow justice secretary and lord chancellor by Sir Keir Starmer in 2023, taking up both of these positions in government before being appointed home secretary in 2025.
Her tenure in the role has seen Labour tack further to the right on issues like immigration and policing. Shortly before becoming prime minister, Mr Burnham voted in favour of the government’s immigration and asylum bill in defiance of 80 backbench Labour MPs who urged him against it.
Keeping her on as home secretary is perhaps a signal that the former Manchester mayor intends to maintain some continuity with the previous Labour government on the issue of immigration and policing.
Former health secretary Wes Streeting has been appointed defence secretary by Mr Burnham in his new cabinet.
Elected as the MP for Ilford North in 2015, Mr Streeting served in the health brief from July 2024 to May 2026. His resignation served a major blow to Sir Keir Starmer, delivered in response to Labour’s disastrous local election results.
Upon his resignation, he said he was proud of his work on reducing NHS waiting times during his time in the post, alongside improving ambulance response times and recruiting 2,000 GPs.
Mr Streeting is often credited as one of Labour’s most able media performers, and has long been linked to ambitions for the top job. It is understood that he had intended to challenge Mr Burnham for leadership before it became clear he could not gather the required 81 Labour MPs to support his bid.
A mainstay in the Labour Party for nearly three decades, Yvette Cooper will now become health secretary, moving from the position of foreign secretary.
Ms Cooper was then appointed foreign secretary by Sir Keir in his 2025 cabinet reshuffle, becoming the first woman in history to serve in both this role and as home secretary.
Her political relationship to Mr Burnham spans back nearly as long as her time in Westminster, with the new prime minister becoming an MP just a few years after her.
Both served in the cabinet of former prime minister Gordon Brown, with Ms Cooper serving as work and pensions secretary while Mr Burnham held the health brief.
Ms Cooper delivered a major boost for Mr Burnham’s leadership bid at the end of June, telling reporters that he is “the right person” for the job.
Elected as the MP for Manchester Central in a 2012 by-election, Lucy Powell became a natural ally for Mr Burnham during his time as the city’s mayor – and this partnership will continue in Westminster.
The deputy Labour leader has been appointed education secretary by Mr Burnham, taking over from Bridget Phillipson.
During Sir Keir Starmer’s time as leader of the opposition, he appointed Ms Powell to several shadow ministerial roles. She would ultimately hold the brief as leader of the House of Commons for a year, before being dismissed by Sir Keir in the 2025 cabinet reshuffle.
Mr Burnham backed Ms Powell as deputy leader of the Labour Party, to take over from Angela Rayner, who was forced to resign over an issue with her tax affairs.
Her victory over then-education secretary Bridget Phillipson was seen as a decisive moment in Mr Burnham’s rise to power, giving the former mayor yet another powerful ally in Westminster.
Her longstanding support for Mr Burnham makes her a natural ally as he builds his top team, and her appointment as education secretary is little surprise.
Bridget Phillipson remains a member of the cabinet reshuffle, albeit in a reduced role.
The Sunderland MP retains her position as equalities minister, but has handed the education brief over to Lucy Powell.
In the education brief, she oversaw initiatives such as expanding free breakfast clubs, overhauling school inspections, and addressing rising school absenteeism.
Pat McFadden is one of the few ministers to hold on to his job from the Starmer cabinet, staying on as work and pensions secretary.
First elected as the MP for Wolverhampton South East in 2005, Mr McFadden has held several ministerial roles during his time in parliament.
He was appointed to the DWP brief in Sir Keir’s 2025 reshuffle, tasked with focusing on structural welfare reforms and getting young people into work.
Former transport secretary Louise Haigh was manager of Mr Burnham’s campaign in Makerfield, and a key proponent in Westminster of his return to parliament.
She has been appointed first secretary of state, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and minister for the Cabinet Office.
Ms Haigh resigned as transport secretary in November 2024 after it emerged she had pleaded guilty to a fraud offence a decade ago, telling police she had her work mobile taken in a mugging, but later finding it had not been taken.
In the time since, the Sheffield MP is understood to have become a “right-hand” to Mr Burnham, credited with elevating his campaign to return to parliament as leader.
Elected in 2024 for the Merseyside seat of Knowsley, Anneliese Midgley was a political director for Unite and the Trade Union Congress earlier in her political career, before going on to advise both Jeremy Corbyn and Sir Keir in opposition.
The Knowsley-born politician worked as the “political lead” on Mr Burnham’s campaign in Makerfield, and is understood to be a close ally.
Her extensive trade union experience and connections make her a potentially wise choice for a top job in Mr Burnham’s cabinet, following union backlash towards the end of Sir Keir’s tenure.
In May, 11 unions which help fund the Labour Party, including Unite, Unison and GMB, called on the outgoing prime minister to resign over disastrous local election results.
Ms Midgely has taken over as chief whip under Mr Burnham, in a role which may help the new prime minister forge deeper ties with essential backers.
Miatta Fahnbulleh, who resigned as a housing minister in protest at Sir Keir’s leadership earlier this year, has been advising Mr Burnham and fleshing out his policy plans.
Ms Fahnbulleh, the new energy secretary, is considered to be a member of Mr Burnham’s inner circle.
She previously served as a parliamentary under-secretary of state in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and is also considered to be a close ally of Ed Miliband.
Alex Norris, who has been appointed as justice secretary, previously served as minister of state for border security and asylum.
Earlier this month, Mr Norris said “all options are on the table” regarding the deportation of Rochdale grooming gang leader Shabir Ahmed, who was released from prison.