2023 British shadow cabinet reshuffle

Not to be confused with 2023 British cabinet reshuffle.

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On 4 September 2023, Keir Starmer, Leader of the UK Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition, carried out a reshuffle of his shadow cabinet.[1][2][3][4] This was his third major reshuffle and was described as promoting his loyalists to senior roles.[5]

Starmer's deputy Angela Rayner received the shadow levelling up post, replacing Lisa Nandy who was demoted to the shadow minister for international development.[6] The most senior members of the shadow cabinet remained in their positions.[6] Rosena Allin-Khan, who was the shadow minister for mental health before the reshuffle, resigned from the Shadow Cabinet, criticising shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting's advocacy for outsourcing the NHS to the private sector.[7] She also said that Starmer did "not see a space for a mental health portfolio in a Labour cabinet".[8][9][10] The reshuffle coincided with the start of the tenure of Sue Gray as Starmer's new chief of staff.[11]

Writers from The Guardian and Politico said that the Blairite wing of the party had prospered in the reshuffle to the detriment of the soft left of the party.[12][13] One shadow minister, said of the reshuffle, "It's all the Blairites" and called it "an entirely factional takeover".[14] Starmer said that he was putting his "strongest possible players on the pitch" ahead of the upcoming general election.[6] Tom Belger writing for LabourList described the reshuffle as a continuing of "Labour's right-ward march".[15]

  1. ^ "Labour reshuffle: Sir Keir Starmer to shake up shadow cabinet". BBC News. 3 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  2. ^ "Politics latest: Rayner gets new role in Labour reshuffle – as Nandy's 'brutal' demotion conversation revealed". Sky News. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  3. ^ "Adam Boulton: MPs are heading back to Westminster – but are they all keeping an eye on a looming election?". Sky News. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  4. ^ "Labour reshuffle: Who's in and who's out of Sir Keir Starmer's shadow cabinet?". Sky News. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  5. ^ Gibbons, Amy (4 September 2023). "Labour reshuffle: Who's in and who's out". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Paul Seddon (4 September 2023). "Angela Rayner handed new role as Keir Starmer reshuffles top team". BBC News. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  7. ^ Fisher, Andrew (4 September 2023). "The Labour reshuffle leaves Starmer surrounded by yes-men". i. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  8. ^ Jarvis, Chris (4 September 2023). "'You do not see a space for a mental health portfolio in a Labour cabinet': Rosena Allin-Khan resigns from Labour frontbench". Left Foot Forward. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  9. ^ Keane, Daniel (4 September 2023). "Shadow mental health minister resigns with swipe at Keir Starmer". Evening Standard. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  10. ^ Barradale, Greg. "Shadow mental health minister's resignation sends 'worrying message' about Keir Starmer's Labour". The Big Issue. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  11. ^ Ione Wells (4 September 2023). "Labour reshuffle: Sir Keir Starmer to shake up shadow cabinet". BBC News. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  12. ^ Pippa Crerar and Peter Walker (4 September 2023). "Angela Rayner named shadow levelling up secretary in Labour reshuffle". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  13. ^ McDonald, Andrew (4 September 2023). "UK Labour reshuffle: The winners and losers in Keir Starmer's shake-up". Politico. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  14. ^ Crerar, Pippa (4 September 2023). "Starmer promotes Blairites as Labour thoughts turn to governing". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  15. ^ Belger, Tom (5 September 2023). "'Labour's shadow cabinet reshuffle: Not everything is as clear as it looks'". LabourList. Retrieved 28 September 2023.