Labour reshuffle: Yvette Cooper returns to frontbench as Sir Keir Starm reshuffles shadow cabinet

Yvette Cooper has returned to Labour’s frontbench as party leader Sir Keir Starmer switches up his top team.

The shadow cabinet reshuffle has seen Ms Cooper, a former cabinet minister and the current chairwoman of the Commons Home Affairs Committee, become shadow home secretary, a role which will see her take on Priti Patel over the migrant crisis.

Promotions were also awarded to Bridget Phillipson and Wes Streeting who will take on the roles of shadow education secretary and shadow health secretary respectively.

Jonathan Ashworth, who has had the health brief through the pandemic, is now in the role of shadow work and pensions secretary, while Lisa Nandy becomes shadow secretary for levelling up and communities.

Former leader Ed Miliband has been made shadow climate change secretary, and Jonathan Reynolds will take on his former portfolio of business, energy and industrial strategy.

Speaking about the reshuffle, Sir Keir said: “With this reshuffle we are a smaller, more focused shadow cabinet that mirrors the shape of the government we are shadowing.

“We must hold the Conservative government to account on behalf of the public and demonstrate that we are the right choice to form the next government.”

Who is in the new shadow cabinet?

Listed are all the appointments Sir Keir Starmer has made to his reshuffled shadow cabinet:

• Deputy leader, shadow first secretary of state, shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and shadow secretary for the future of work: Angela Rayner
• Shadow chancellor of the Exchequer: Rachel Reeves
• Shadow business and industrial strategy secretary: Jonathan Reynolds
• Shadow climate change and net zero secretary: Ed Miliband
• Shadow levelling up, housing, communities and local government secretary: Lisa Nandy
• Shadow defence secretary: John Healey
• Shadow digital, culture, media and sport secretary: Lucy Powell
• Shadow education secretary: Bridget Phillipson
• Shadow environment, food and rural affairs secretary: Jim McMahon
• Shadow foreign, commonwealth and development affairs secretary: David Lammy
• Shadow health and social care secretary: Wes Streeting
• Shadow home secretary: Yvette Cooper
• Shadow international trade secretary: Nick Thomas-Symonds
• Shadow minister of state at the Cabinet Office: Jenny Chapman
• Shadow justice secretary: Steve Reed
• Shadow transport secretary: Louise Haigh
• Shadow women and equalities secretary, party chair and chair of Labour Policy Review: Anneliese Dodds
• Shadow work and pensions secretary: Jonathan Ashworth
• Shadow Attorney General: Emily Thornberry
• Shadow cabinet minister for mental health: Rosena Allin-Khan
• Shadow cabinet minister for international development: Preet Gill
• Shadow chief secretary to HM Treasury: Pat McFadden
• Shadow Wales secretary: Jo Stevens
• Shadow Scotland secretary: Ian Murray
• Shadow Northern Ireland secretary: Peter Kyle
• National campaign coordinator: Shabana Mahmood
• Shadow leader of the House of Commons: Thangam Debbonaire
• Shadow chief whip: Alan Campbell
• Shadow leader of the House of Lords: Angela Smith
• Opposition chief whip in the House: Roy Kennedy

Who is leaving the shadow cabinet?

Among those leaving is former shadow education secretary Kate Green, the former shadow environment secretary Luke Pollard and the Blair-era veteran Lord Falconer, who announced he was stepping down as shadow attorney general.

In a statement, Sir Keir said: “I want to thank all those who have left the shadow cabinet today for their great service to me and to our party.

“I look forward to working with the new team to show we are once again a serious party of government, ready to fix the mess the Tories have got the country into and to inspire voters to believe that Britain’s best days are ahead of us.”

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