Burnham now in. Big policies he's talked up so far include ending rough sleeping, raising the personal allowance and otherwise tackling the cost of living. Sounds like he wants to make a big impact and have a clear dividing line from the past, a little bit 'just do good things and don't do bad things so far' but so far so okay.

Great Cabinet changes so far, Reeves, Reed, Lammy, Kyle, Kendall all out is excellent, Labour Right smarmy talk-downers for the most part. One I was quite sad to see was James Timpson gone from prison ministers, the first announced this morning, though perhaps there's significant enough overhaul to that part of government that he'd now prefer to be on the outside.

Next year's G20 will be in Manchester. He told Trump when they spoke today.

John Healy chancellor. Didn’t see that one coming. I wonder what department will get a financial boost…

Will anyone be watching in the morning? BBC1` from 10am. ITV from 11am. Main Cabinet jobs announced later in day.

1 minute ago, Brett-Butler said:

John Healy chancellor. Didn’t see that one coming. I wonder what department will get a financial boost…

Mahmood reportedly turned it down first.

That definitely smells like either Miliband or Mahmood would have made a lot of people angry so he went for the compromise.

I don't know much about him beyond his brief stint as defence secretary but perhaps indicative of Burnham wanting to keep himself and himself alone as the main government personality.

Just interested to see who Burnham is going to punish by making them Northern Irish Secretary.

Miliband in as Foreign Sec, Mahmood stays at Home.

We'll take that.

Mahmood staying as Home Sec is great for Labour. People might not like her stance, but it's working with the wider electorate and immigration is a massive issue with voters.

Surprised Streeting hasn't got a big gig. Wonder if he might take on this AI/tech role that's been hinted.

Interested to see Burnham hint about freezing tax thresholds. Wonder how they're going to run the numbers on that. Would certainly be a pretty popular policy, but interested to see how we'd pay for it.

Some great sackings of Blairties and plenty of Brownites in. A def move to the left. Healey as chancellor so 2 Irishmen at the top of government!

When the Tory press went on about back to the seventies, did they mean Chancellor Healey?

Angela Raynor back as housing secretary! That's a pretty bold move given the scrutiny she might face, but I'm glad to see it as she was a wonderful communicator with some good ideas, that 'scandal' feels a bit of a storm in a teacup in retrospect given how some MPs stayed on for much worse.

Early days, but not a bad looking cabinet overall, very pleased to see the back of Reeves and Lammy and I guess Healey is a wait-and-see type of choice, Miliband would've been a target in that position right from the start.

I'm not fully convinced on Burnham yet (the North Sea drilling is a really disappointing start) as it all seems a bit idealist without a clear plan, but he seems to have the right priorities, the impractical digital ID being scrapped is a good start. Certainly got faith he can manage PR a bit better than Starmer did.

1 hour ago, Suedehead2 said:

When the Tory press went on about back to the seventies, did they mean Chancellor Healey?

Can’t see John giving a two fingered salute like he regularly did! Look at those eyebrows!

15 hours ago, Brett-Butler said:

Just interested to see who Burnham is going to punish by making them Northern Irish Secretary.

Chris Bryant.

Very pleased that both Rayner and Haigh are back in, both of their previous departures from cabinet felt like they were media laser-focusing against powerful left-wing figures in the party, can't double jeopardy them now.

Miatta hopefully is a decent replacement for Ed at energy, we'll see.

Good in that Burnham's first round of policies, VAT from energy bills and possibly also business rates, as well as a floated returning the bus cap to £2 seem designed to be small quick wins that give people positive first impressions of his admin, something the Starmer administration spectacularly failed at.

Millband might have learnt to eat a bacon sandwich by now.

I’m worried that’s all the average person remembers him for but he’s so much more than that. Says a lot about why he’s in politics that 10 years after Cameron left politics he’s still in high office as an MP. Whereas DC left once he finished being PM. He was in politics to be PM. (Apart from a short stint as Foreign Secretary from the Lords, which felt very 19th century)

He’s also proven to be an effective shadow cabinet minister and Energy secretary putting in place long lasting reforms to our energy system which will be felt in the decades to come.

The fact the right wing press has attacked him so much shows he’s doing a good job.

Edited Tuesday at 18:564 days by Steve201

2 hours ago, Iz様 🌟 said:

Very pleased that both Rayner and Haigh are back in, both of their previous departures from cabinet felt like they were media laser-focusing against powerful left-wing figures in the party, can't double jeopardy them now.

Miatta hopefully is a decent replacement for Ed at energy, we'll see.

Good in that Burnham's first round of policies, VAT from energy bills and possibly also business rates, as well as a floated returning the bus cap to £2 seem designed to be small quick wins that give people positive first impressions of his admin, something the Starmer administration spectacularly failed at.

Yeh Miatta being set up to replace Healey potentially in the 2030s.

I have reviewed the new cabinet and judged them into left and right for the Labour Party

PM Andy Burnham - Soft Left

Chancellor John Healey - Soft left

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband - Left -Brownite

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmoud - Old Right

Health Yvette Cooper - Blairite

Defence Wes Streeting - Blairite

Office of the PM Louise Haigh - Left

Education Lucy Powell Soft Left

Work & Pensions Pat McFadden - Blairite

Housing Angela Rayner - Left

Business Johnny Reynolds - Brownite

Equalities Bridget Phillipson - Left/Soft Left

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy - Soft Left

Miatta Fahnbulleh - Energy - Soft Left/Left

Justice Alex Norris - Soft Left

Transport Heidi Alexander Centre

Environment Angela Eagle - Soft Left

NI Chris Bryant - Blairite

Scotland Douglas Alexander - Brownite-Centrist

Wales Stephen Kinnock - Blairite

Chief Sec to the Treasury - Emma Reynolds Blairite

Chief Whip - Analise Midgley - Soft left

Attorney General - Ellie Reeves Soft Left

Leader of the Commons Alan Campbell Blairite

Baroness Smith - Blairite

Intergovernmental Relations - Hamish Falcolner - Blairite

AI Kan Narayan Blairite

Basically Left means further left than soft left or Brownite but not quite Jezza Corbyn and centre means unsure or very few opinions and Blairite means right or liberal in the Labour Party!

4 hours ago, Mack. said:

Millband might have learnt to eat a bacon sandwich by now.

He has recent Jewish ancestry. Why should he eat a bacon sandwich?