Keir Starmer rearranges his deckchairs: Embattled Labour leader makes changes after election defeat

An embattled Sir Keir Starmer tonight rearranged his deckchairs as he chopped and adjusted his shadow cupboard in a make-or-break reshuffle.

In a daring, however not surprising transfer, the stumbling Labour leader demoted celebration favorite Anneliese Dodds from the important thing function of shadow chancellor.

He changed her with Oxford educated former Financial institution of England employee Rachel Revees – a key ally of Ed Miliband throughout his spell as Labour leader.

In essentially the most left-field transfer of the evening, the Labour leader sacked veteran MP Nick Brown because the celebration’s chief whip.

Then, in a dramatic twist to earlier occasions, Sir Keir reinstated Angela Rayner to his entrance bench – hours after axing her from her function as celebration chair.

She’s going to now take Michael Gove to process as Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. 

Ms Dodds will now change her as celebration chair. Mr Brown in the meantime will probably be changed as chief whip by Alan Campbell.

Thangam Debbonaire has been moved to shadow Commons leader, changing Valerie Vaz.

Talking after the reshuffle, which comes amid the persevering with fallout of the celebration’s poor native election displaying and humiliating Hartlepool by-election defeat, Sir Keir urged that the Labour celebration ‘should change’.

He additionally promised a ‘relentless give attention to the priorities of the British individuals’. 

An embattled Sir Keir Starmer tonight swung the axe as he chopped and adjusted his shadow cupboard in a make-or-break reshuffle

In a daring, however not solely unsurprising transfer, the stumbling Labour leader demoted Anneliese Dodds (pictured proper) from the vital function of shadow chancellor. He changed her with Oxford educated former Financial institution of England employee Rachel Revees (pictured left) – a key ally of Ed Miliband throughout his spell as Labour leader.

In essentially the most left-field transfer of the evening, the Labour leader sacked veteran MP Nick Brown (pictured left) because the celebration’s chief whip.  And in a dramatic twist, Sir Keir reinstated Angela Rayner (pictured proper) to his entrance bench, after earlier axing her from the vital function of celebration chair.

Thangam Debbonaire (pictured left) has been moved to shadow Commons leader, changing Valerie Vaz (pictured proper)

Sir Keir mentioned: ‘The Labour Get together should be the celebration that embraces the demand for change throughout our nation.

‘That may require daring concepts and a relentless give attention to the priorities of the British individuals.

‘Simply because the pandemic has modified what is feasible and what’s mandatory, so Labour should change too.’  

The rise of Ms Reeve will probably be one of many massive speaking factors of the reshuffle. 

First elected to characterize Leeds West in 2010, inside six months she was the shadow minister for pensions.

After subsequent roles at shadowing within the Treasury and Division for Work and Pensions, Ms Reeves assumed the function of shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster – reverse Michael Gove – when Sir Keir grew to become celebration leader.

She was good mates with constituency neighbour Jo Cox, who was killed in 2016. 

Paying a tearful tribute to her colleague within the Commons days after her demise, Ms Reeves mentioned of Ms Cox: ‘Batley and Spen will go on, to elect a brand new MP, however nobody can change a mom.’

Politics runs within the household, and Ms Reeves is married to a former personal secretary and speech author of Gordon Brown.

Her youthful sister, Ellie additionally has a seat in Parliament because the Labour MP for Lewisham West and Penge, and serves because the shadow Solicitor Common.

Earlier than arriving in Westminster, Ms Reeves labored as an economist on the Financial institution of England and the British Embassy in Washington DC.

Ms Dodds in the meantime will take up the vital function of celebration chair.

Labour MP for Oxford East since June 2017, Ms Dodds was an MEP for South East England for 4 years earlier than taking her seat on the opposition benches.

A yr after her election, she was made shadow monetary secretary to the Treasury, earlier than receiving her promotion to the shadow entrance bench in April final yr.

A mom of two younger youngsters, 43-year-old Ms Dodds’ media expertise had been put to the take a look at simply days into her function as shadow chancellor, when her daughter burst in throughout an interview with Sky Information.

‘I believed she was going to remain asleep, sorry… so embarrassing,’ Ms Dodds mentioned when requested in regards to the second on the interview’s shut.

‘She’s fortunately below the chair now.’

Ms Dodds has now been relegated to the function of celebration chairman and chair of Labour Coverage Assessment.

Earlier than politics, Aberdeen-born Ms Dodds labored as a tutorial and it’s thought her analysis targeted on public coverage and threat in numerous industries, sectors and nations.

 It comes after Ms Rayner was successfully sacked as celebration chair earlier as we speak, sparking anger from left-wingers and moderates, with claims the Ashton-under-Lyne MP is being made to hold the can for Sir Keir’s errors.

Ms Rayner was elected as celebration deputy leader individually to Sir Keir, that means he can’t axe her solely – with even his regular supporters conceding it was a ‘dangerous thought’. 

Nonetheless, there are claims that some ministers are discussing merely refusing to take different jobs, with Sir Keir dealing with the specter of a mass walk-out that might deal a deadly blow to his authority. Some shadow cupboard ministers earlier instructed MailOnline that they had heard nothing from the leader.

As alarm bells began ringing over the dimensions of unrest within the celebration, shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray insisted Ms Rayner had not been ‘sacked’ and was as an alternative being given a ‘important promotion’. He instructed Sky Information she was being moved from the ‘again workplace to the entrance workplace’ as a spokeswoman. 

Liverpool MP Kim Johnson took intention instantly at Sir Keir saying shifting Ms Rayner was an ‘appalling act of cowardice’. 

Corbynite former shadow house secretary Diane Abbott additionally waded into the spat, saying the choice to maneuver Ms Rayner was ‘baffling’ and demanding Sir Keir reverts to ‘in style’ hard-Left insurance policies.

‘She did not take any of the large selections round Hartlepool and we have not heard anyplace within the nation individuals saying they did not vote Labour due to Angela Rayner,’ she mentioned.

And Jon Trickett, who was sacked by Sir from the shadow cupboard final yr, tweeted: ‘I do not suppose we must always rule out a management problem.’ 

Keir Starmer dropped a bombshell final evening by sacking Angela Rayner (pictured collectively final week) as Labour Get together chairwoman – though as a result of she is the elected deputy leader he doesn’t have powers to axe her altogether 

Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds (left) can be anticipated to be one other sufferer of a brutal reshuffle this week. Deborah Mattinson (proper), a key adviser to Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, has been appointed as Labour’s new technique director

Liverpool MP Kim Johnson took intention instantly at Sir Keir saying shifting Ms Rayner was an ‘appalling act of cowardice’

With nearly all of the council leads to for England, Labour has misplaced greater than 300 seats whereas the Tories are up greater than 200

Diane Abbott calls for return to ‘in style’ hard-Left insurance policies 

Diane Abbott as we speak demanded Keir Starmer returns to the ‘in style’ Socialist insurance policies from the Jeremy Corbyn period

Diane Abbott as we speak demanded Keir Starmer returns to the ‘in style’ Socialist insurance policies from the Jeremy Corbyn period as Labour plunged additional into civil struggle.

The previous shadow house secretary lashed out at Sir Keir as she insisted Mr Corbyn solely led the celebration to its worst common election defeat since 1935 attributable to an ‘extraordinary media assault’.

Ms Abbott additionally waded into the spat over the ‘sacking’ of Angela Rayner from the important thing function as Labour chair, saying the choice was ‘baffling’. 

The intervention got here as Sir Keir mounted a determined bid to avoid wasting his shattered management after the dire Tremendous Thursday outcomes – kicking off a reshuffle and drafting in a New Labour pollster as his technique chief.

Chatting with Sky Information’ Ridge On Sunday, Ms Abbott, who described the Hartlepool by-election loss as ‘distressing’, mentioned: ‘I feel we have to be constructing on the insurance policies within the 2019 manifesto, lots of which had been forward-thinking and in style.

‘We have to get the technique proper.’

Instructed that Mr Corbyn’s manifesto had failed, Ms Abbott added: ‘It was a manifesto that, taking the insurance policies individually, was very talked-about.’

She went on: ‘We gained Hartlepool twice below Jeremy Corbyn’s management and, importantly, with an even bigger proportion of the vote.

‘You’ll be able to’t say that Jeremy is liable for the Hartlepool consequence. The disaffection in post-industrial Britain lengthy predates Jeremy’s management and we have now to have a look at the roots of it.’   

Ms Mattinson labored as a Labour pollster till the celebration was ejected from energy in 2010, and after Jeremy Corbyn’s 2019 common election defeat – the celebration’s worst efficiency since 1935 – penned a e book analysing the collapse of the Purple Wall. 

She is because of depart BritainThinks, the analysis and consultancy firm she co-founded, to take up her function because the celebration’s technique director subsequent month.

Ms Mattinson mentioned: ‘I’m very a lot trying ahead to becoming a member of Keir Starmer and his staff.

‘The approaching months will probably be difficult however I will probably be proud to play an element in serving to Labour reconnect with the voters it has misplaced.’

There was a small shiny spot for Labour final evening as Sadiq Khan retained his job as London Mayor, though Tory candidate Shaun Bailey far exceeded expectations and slashed his majority.

In addition they secured the Cambridge and Peterborough mayoralty because the dramatic realignment of the UK’s political panorama continues. 

Nonetheless, within the newest punishing outcomes from different key battlegrounds the Conservatives gained management of Amber Valley in Derbyshire from Labour, after profitable 13 of the 16 seats being contested. 

And one other anticipated victory might trigger a critical headache for Sir Keir, as Tracey Brabin securing the West Yorkshire mayoralty would imply a by-election in her Batley & Spen constituency.    

Labour was seemingly unable to search out anybody to make the case for Sir Keir on the BBC’s flagship Marr Present political programme as we speak. 

In additional proof of the bitter struggle threatening to tear Labour aside, particulars of Ms Rayner’s use of firstclass rail tickets had been leaked to the Sunday Occasions. Her allies insisted she solely did so for security causes after the homicide of Sarah Everard.

Ms Rayner is a survivor from the Corbyn period, and the defenestration of the celebration’s most senior lady – who represents a Northern seat – from a key function sparked a backlash from all sides.

Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell identified that Sir Keir had promised on Friday to take ‘full accountability for the election lead to Hartlepool & different losses’, however was now ‘scapegoating everybody aside from himself’. ‘This is not management it is a cowardly avoidance of accountability,’ the Corbynite mentioned.

Mr McDonnell instructed the Marr Present that ditching Ms Rayner as nationwide marketing campaign co-ordinator was a ‘enormous mistake’.

‘I have not spoken to Angie. And let me be clear, I haven’t got any transient for Angie – I did not help her as deputy leader, I supported Richard Burgon,’ he mentioned.

‘When the leader of the celebration on Friday mentioned he takes accountability for the election lead to Hartlepool particularly after which scapegoats Angela Rayner, I feel many people really feel that’s unfair, notably as everyone knows really that Keir’s fashion of management is that his workplace controls all the things.

‘It is extremely centralised and he managed the marketing campaign, so many people suppose it’s actually unfair.

‘What public relations genius thought this was a superb transfer on the very day, really, we had been having successes – Andy Burnham in Manchester, Steve Rotheram in Liverpool, Paul Dennett in Salford, Marvin down in Bristol, Sadiq in London.

‘The very day we’re recovering a bit and having successes, then they do that. I simply suppose it’s a enormous mistake.’

A Labour supply mentioned: ‘Keir mentioned he was taking full accountability for the results of the elections and he mentioned we have to change. Meaning altering how we run our campaigns in future. Angela will proceed to play a senior function in Keir’s staff.’ 

It got here as former Cupboard minister Andy Burnham piled extra stress on Sir Keir, by blasting the celebration for being too ‘London-centric’, whereas including in a tweet: ‘I am unable to help this.’

The previous well being secretary, who stop as an MP after shedding the management to Jeremy Corbyn, additionally hinted that he can be ready to have one other tilt on the high job after being overwhelmingly returned as Larger Manchester mayor.

Keir Starmer sacked Angela Rayner (centre, pictured with unsuccessful West Midlands Metro Mayor candidate Liam Byrne, proper) as Labour Get together chairwoman and campaigns co-ordinator tonight over Thursday’s dismal election fiasco, in a transfer that regarded sure to plunge the celebration into a brand new civil struggle

Mr Burnham, who has been dubbed ‘King of the North’ after taking up Boris Johnson over Covid laws final yr, gained a second time period as mayor with an elevated share of the vote, on an elevated turnout, from 2017.

Mr Burnham, who has been dubbed ‘King of the North’ after taking up Boris Johnson over Covid laws final yr, gained a second time period as mayor with an elevated share of the vote, on an elevated turnout, from 2017.

It left him essentially the most senior and profitable elected Labour Get together politician exterior the parliamentary management of the celebration.

In an interview with Sky, Mr Burnham steered he would entertain changing into leader of the Labour Get together ‘within the distant future’, including: ‘If the celebration had been ever to really feel it wanted me, effectively I am right here and they need to get in contact.’

He added: ‘I’ve tried twice to be the leader and it has by no means labored, so I am not below any illusions that it has by no means labored for me previously.

‘I really feel I’m in the very best job on the planet and we have now an enormous job forward of us however I am right here to assist the Labour Get together in the event that they want it – however they should change, let’s be actually clear about this.

‘They’ve misplaced an emotional reference to elements of the nation that’s going to take loads of work to get again, so I feel the celebration has to do loads of soul-searching about these outcomes and perceive why we have now performed effectively in Wales, locations like Larger Manchester, and it actually must then purchase in to English devolution and construct from the underside up – that is what these outcomes are telling them.’ 

One normally supportive Labour MP instructed MailOnline of the axing of Ms Rayner: ‘Not the very best thought. She has been ineffective within the campaigning function, however then so has his personal workplace.’ 

A pissed off reasonable MP mentioned: ‘His workplace is stuffed with political incompetents who act like they’re in an version of the West Wing with none political antenna. They make no try to attach with the PLP and suppose elected politicians are an inconvenience.’ 

Lord Mandelson vented anger on the agitating from hard-Left figures for one more lurch again in direction of Corbynite insurance policies.

The previous Cupboard minister instructed Occasions Radio that Sir Keir’s downside was that he had ‘underestimated the dimensions of the problem’ and wanted to be ‘daring’ about making changes.  

‘At first, I feel he underestimated the dimensions of the problem he was taking up,’ the peer mentioned. 

‘And I feel he underestimated the dimensions of the transformation that was wanted to satisfy voters expectations of what they wished to see the Labour Get together do and alter and to tackle. 

‘Second, I feel after the devastating results of the 2019 election he assumed the celebration would present some humility, and willingness to vary. 

‘And I am afraid I feel that the idea, within the case of some main members of the celebration, was misplaced. Simply have a look at the opposition of John McDonnell, Diane Abbott and different supporters of Jeremy Corbyn who had been liable for that devastating defeat. 

‘They are not displaying humility and willingness. They are not displaying a preparedness to vary.They’re simply remaining caught in a rut, trying backwards and making an attempt to justify and vindicate themselves and the insurance policies on which we misplaced the final election very, very badly certainly.’ 

As Mayor of Larger Manchester Mr Burnham has constructed his personal profitable model. However his success is broadly seen as coming by means of his excessive profile, as a former Labour authorities minister – and his distance from the Labour Get together.

Regardless of first changing into MP for Leigh in 2001 and serving as a authorities minister throughout 17 years of New Labour, he has railed towards the poor-relation standing of the North and brought to repeatedly bashing the Westminster institution.

He additionally served in Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cupboard, which has led to an often-heard criticism inside Labour ranks – that Mr Burnham, having served in Tony Blair’s pro-EU, globalising Labour Get together and Mr Corbyn’s socialist, red-in-tooth-and-claw model, he’s a weather-vane who goes with the stream to make sure his personal electoral success.

Mr Burnham left Westminster to turn into Mayor of Larger Manchester in 2017 and crucially was faraway from his celebration’s determination to again a second referendum on the Brexit vote, the reason for anger amongst northern Depart voters.

 Labour has blamed the coronavirus pandemic for hampering its campaigns throughout Britain after the Tories racked up a string of gorgeous ballot victories within the native elections. 

Labour was thrashed within the Hartlepool by-election, with Jill Mortimer securing a majority of virtually 7,000, whereas Tory Ben Houchen gained a second time period as mayor of Tees Valley with a whopping 73 per cent share of the vote.

And the Conservatives gained management of a collection of councils, together with Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Dudley, Harlow and Nuneaton and Bedworth – reversing the mid-term hunch typically suffered by governing events.

With the Tories additionally profitable seats throughout the West Midlands, senior figures had been more and more assured that the area’s mayor Andy Road will safe a second time period in workplace when returns there are introduced as we speak.  

Ministers have predicted that Boris Johnson might rule longer than Margaret Thatcher as outcomes confirmed the Tories might take 36 extra Westminster seats from Labour on the subsequent Common Election.

They imagine there was a everlasting shift within the UK’s political id and claimed Mr Johnson – who has been the premier since July 2019 – might outlast Margaret Thatcher’s 11 years in Downing Road, The Occasions stories.

 

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on the depend for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections on the Glasgow Emirates Enviornment yesterday

Andy Burnham piled extra stress on Sir Keir, saying he ‘cannot help’ Angela Rayner’s firing

They imagine the Tories should set up a bonus by profitable the ‘tradition wars’ and difficult ‘woke’ views. In the meantime sources instructed the Guardian Sir Keir is now contemplating shifting Labour out of London to reconnect with ‘Purple Wall’ voters.

Nonetheless, Mr Johnson is dealing with a constitutional conflict with Nicola Sturgeon as she renews her push for one more Scottish independence referendum after profitable her personal mandate in Scottish elections.

Labour infighting flared with frontbencher Khalid Mahmood saying he was quitting Labour’s entrance bench in protest on the ‘woke’ management.

The previous defence spokesman and West Midlands MP mentioned the celebration had been ‘successfully captured’ by a ‘London-based bourgeoisie, with the help of brigades of woke social media warriors’.