Sir Keir Starmer made Rachel Reeves Britain's first female chancellor yesterday as he appointed his new cabinet to get on with the job quickly.
It was one of the easiest appointments for the new prime minister. Ms Reeves played a major role in the election campaign, and, as a former Bank of England economist, has helped restore economic credibility to Labour from the wreckage of the Jeremy Corbyn years.
She is the first woman to hold the second most important role in government in the 708 years since the office of chancellor of the Exchequer was established.
Earlier, Angela Rayner had been handed her own department as secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities, taking over from Michael Gove. There had been questions about whether she might be given a roving role, but she had shadowed Mr Gove with some success and had hankered after a department.
Ms Rayner will also be deputy prime minister - she is only the second woman to hold that position, after Therese Coffey in Liz Truss's 49-day government.
Just 24 hours before Britain went to the polls, Sir Keir was still coy about who would get the top jobs, and refused in interviews to guarantee anyone a post. This was partly to avoid the situation that befell Neil Kinnock, who came unstuck in 1992 when he introduced his new cabinet at an infamous rally in Sheffield only to lose the election.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 06, 2024 من The Independent.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 06, 2024 من The Independent.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Carse justifies England faith as the archetypal bold pick
If you won a boxing match after your opponent continually punched themselves in the face, how much credit can you take?
Tenacious Diallo the key to Amorim pressing machine
Old Trafford has not seen anything like this before.
Gold King Cole packs the Bridge with merry old souls
In the 83rd minute, the ball rolled to the feet of Cole Palmer in a bubble of space outside Aston Villa's box, and the crowd snapped to attention.
Vibrant Anfield marks the changing of the Guardiola
There was a lull in the noise, a break in the Anfield atmosphere, when a defiant chant emerged from a corner near Stefan Ortega’s goal.
What is so daunting about Spain's new data checks?
Q You have written about the new “red tape” for visitors to Spain. So, as well as your usual passport details you will give a contact number, address and email. Not exactly the Spanish Inquisition, is it?
Sectarian clashes claim at least 130 lives in Pakistan
At least 130 people were killed in deadly sectarian clashes in Pakistan's northwestern Kurram district in spite of a tentative ceasefire, days after gunmen opened fire on a convoy of vehicles carrying Shia Muslims, local officials said.
Coalition government likely in Ireland as count proceeds
Fianna Fail say decisions on power-sharing for another day’
How Syria's forgotten war is back on the world's agenda
Many believed the country was lost in an unsolvable conflict, until everything changed in a matter of days, writes Bel Trew
Assad regime scrambles to halt Syrian rebels’ advance
Civilians reportedly killed by Russian and Syrian airstrikes
Mother of poisoning victim says she knew she would die
Lawyer Simone White succumbed to the effects of methanol while backpacking in Laos with two of her childhood friends
