New cabinet meets as Starmer government gets down to business

Sir Keir Starmer’s government has hit the ground running on its first full day in office after a landslide victory that upended 14 years of Conservative rule.

From 10 Downing Street, Sir Keir welcomed his new leadership team on Saturday morning and said: “We have a huge amount of work to do, so now we get to work.”

In his first speech as prime minister, he pledged to begin work “immediately” to “rebuild Britain”.

A press conference setting out the prime minister’s priorities is expected later and a series of junior ministers will also be appointed over the weekend, with the most senior posts now filled.

The focus will be on the NHS, which Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting has described as “failing”. In his first statement in the role, he said patients were “being let down on a daily basis”.

The cabinet, announced on Friday, saw the appointment of the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, alongside Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

Although less ethnically diverse than the previous Conservative government, the Cabinet broadly reflects the UK situation as a whole, with 12% of members from ethnic minorities, including Mr Lammy.

The inner circle is 50% female, led by Ms Reeves and Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Levelling Up Angela Rayner, and 12% LGBT members, including Mr Streeting.

The meeting is expected to focus on economic stability, the creation of new green investment company GB Energy and reducing NHS waiting lists.

The abandonment of the Rwandan plan in favour of a new plan to combat illegal immigration will also be on the agenda, as well as prison overcrowding and the strike by young doctors.

A flight to Rwanda was planned for later this month, but Labor wants to redirect the money from the project into a border security command, although questions remain over whether the Illegal Immigration Act will be repealed.

Mr Streeting, who arrived at the meeting at 10 Downing Street, told reporters gathered in the street “we’re getting straight to work” as he entered, closely followed by Transport Secretary Louise Haigh.

Education Minister Bridget Phillipson said the new government had “a lot of work to do”.

Rochdale’s new Labour MP Paul Waugh told BBC Breakfast there would be urgency for the new administration because “what matters is that we deliver on our promises”, particularly on the NHS.

Protesters will gather in Parliament Square on Saturday for a Palestine solidarity rally, which will feature former Labour leader and now independent MP Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Waugh said he won his seat against Labour leader George Galloway by “getting directly involved” on the Gaza issue.

Sir Keir has turned his attention from the British election campaign to the international stage, addressing world leaders in a series of calls as he begins preparations for next week’s Nato summit.

He discussed global challenges, including climate change and economic growth, with the prime ministers of India, Japan and Australia on Saturday morning.

A Downing Street spokesman said the call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi focused on defence, emerging technologies and the possibility of securing a free trade deal.

Speaking to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Sir Keir discussed the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, while with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Sir Keir said he looked forward to building on the partnership between the UK, Australia and the US, as well as the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa later this year.

On Friday, US President Joe Biden congratulated Sir Keir and the two men discussed their commitment to the special UK-US relationship, protecting the gains of the Good Friday Agreement and supporting Ukraine.

Sir Keir spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and reassured him of Ukraine’s “unwavering commitment” to providing defensive support.

A call to European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen “underlined the importance of the unique UK-EU relationship” in addressing shared “challenges,” her office said, including climate change and regional security.

Sir Keir is also due to host the European Political Community summit in the UK on 18 July.