Keir Starmer, the newly elected prime minister of the United Kingdom (UK), has named members of his cabinet hours after his Labour Party recorded a landslide victory on Friday in the polls.
With 11 women, the first Labour cabinet in 14 years has the highest number of female ministers in UK history.
Angela Rayner was named deputy prime minister, while Rachel Reeves became finance minister, making her the first female UK chancellor ever.
David Lammy, the foreign secretary, is the only black minister in Starmer’s government. He replaces the Conservatives’ David Cameron as Britain’s top diplomat.
Yvette Cooper was also appointed as interior minister in charge of the Home Office.
Other appointees include Bridget Philippson as education secretary; Ed Miliband as energy secretary; Liz Kendall as works and pension secretary; Wes Streeting as health secretary; Lisa Nandy as culture minister; and Jonathan Reynolds as business and trade secretary.
In its manifesto, Labour said its top priorities are providing economic stability, cutting NHS waiting times, stopping smuggling, setting up an energy firm, and recruiting more police and teachers.
The party has also made pledges to change the voting age to 16, nationalise passenger railways, fix an extra million potholes in England, build new prisons, push for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, build 1.5 million new homes, and cancel the controversial Rwanda migration scheme.
Starmer vowed that his administration would deliver on its promises.
This rapid formation of the government stands in stark contrast to the extended process often seen in other countries, where it can take months for a new administration to finalise its cabinet.
President Bola Tinubu named his cabinet members in August 2023, three months after he assumed office
