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Yvette Cooper is to become the UK’s new foreign secretary, Downing Street sources have said, as Keir Starmer embarks on a sweeping reshuffle after the damaging departure of his deputy, Angela Rayner, from government.David Lammy was to become justice secretary, they added, but would also be appointed deputy prime minister, meaning the move is a promotion for the veteran Labour figure. Government insiders said that Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, would take over at the Home Office.In other changes being made, Pat McFadden, the chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, is to take over Rayner’s housing and communities brief as part of a revamped, growth-based department also taking in the skills remit formerly held by the Department for Education.Ministers also expected to move include Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, and Jonathan Reynolds, the business and trade secretary. It was not known which roles they would take.Wes Streeting, the health secretary, is understood to be staying in his post.As the prime minister began reshaping his cabinet team, only Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, was confirmed as staying in place as Downing Street sought to reassure the markets that the economy was in safe hands.The moves by Cooper and Mahmood mean that for the first time ever the three great offices of state beyond the prime minister – home secretary, foreign secretary and chancellor – are held by women.Starmer had been widely expected to carry out a reshuffle, with the timetable forced by Rayner’s resignation after the prime minister’s ethics adviser found she had breached the ministerial code over her underpayment of stamp duty on her £800,000 seaside flat.The first confirmed departure from cabinet was Lucy Powell, the Commons leader. “This has not been an easy time for the government. People want to see change and improvement to their difficult lives,” she said. The senior Labour MP was swiftly followed out the door by Ian Murray, the Scottish secretary.Posting on X, Murray said he was “hugely disappointed” to be leaving government and warned Starmer that he risked “furthering division and despair” by failing to make a strong enough argument for “progressive change”.The changes come after a shake-up of the No 10 operation earlier in the week. The new appointments have not yet been formally confirmed.
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