David Lammy named UK Deputy PM and Justice Secretary as Starmer resets top team

Sep, 6 2025

A reshuffle forced by a resignation

In a single morning, Downing Street lost a deputy prime minister and replaced a foreign secretary. By afternoon, David Lammy was walking into No. 10 to accept a rebuilt job: Deputy Prime Minister, Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor. The shake-up came after Angela Rayner quit over a breach of the ministerial code linked to stamp duty on a past property issue, triggering one of the most sweeping personnel moves since Labour took office in July 2024.

The timetable was brutal and fast. Rayner resigned on Friday morning after an independent review found she had fallen foul of the code. Keir Starmer accepted her departure and accelerated a reshuffle that had been pencilled for later in the autumn. By early afternoon, the King had formally approved the appointments. Cameras caught Lammy smiling on Downing Street in the sun, the face of a government trying to turn a political headache into a reset.

Lammy’s move out of the Foreign Office kicked off a cascade. Yvette Cooper, the former Home Secretary, takes charge at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Shabana Mahmood steps up to Home Secretary. Steve Reed becomes Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, a direct handover of Rayner’s housing brief. Pat McFadden moves to Work and Pensions. And Darren Jones adds the role of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to his existing post as Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister.

Critics immediately asked whether the government had been knocked off balance. Ministers pushed back. Darren Jones said the system worked as intended: a breach was found, a resignation followed, and the prime minister moved quickly to fill the gaps. Nigel Farage claimed Labour risked a split and an early election in 2027; Jones dismissed that as noise, saying there would be no split and no early poll.

This was not a gentle reshuffle at the margins. It put new hands on the levers at the Home Office, the Foreign Office, Justice, Housing and DWP, all at once. It also recast the inner circle around Starmer, swapping one deputy for another and moving a heavyweight ally into a domestic brief that touches prisons, courts, human rights and constitutional law.

The choice of Lammy tells you what Starmer wants to fix now. Justice policy is tangled with some of the government’s hardest problems: court backlogs, overcrowded prisons, probation failures and crumbling buildings. It is also where Labour can put a stamp on fairness in the system, from legal aid to sentencing, after years of reports warning of pressure and delay.

Lammy, 52, has the CV for it. First elected in 2000 as MP for Tottenham, he trained at SOAS and Harvard Law School and was called to the Bar in 1994. He served across departments in the last Labour government, from Health to Culture and Business, and entered the Privy Council in 2008. In opposition, he became Shadow Foreign Secretary in 2021 and then Foreign Secretary after Labour won power in 2024.

He is best known in justice circles for the Lammy Review, an independent inquiry he led in 2016–17 into outcomes for Black, Asian and minority ethnic people in the criminal justice system. It set out practical steps to cut bias at charging, pleading and sentencing, improve data, and rebuild trust. He also wrote about the 2011 London riots and social cohesion in his books 'Out of the ashes' and 'Tribes'. That record now becomes the spine of his brief at Justice.

One awkward question hangs over the reshuffle: is leaving the Foreign Office a demotion? Inside Westminster, some call FCDO one of the great offices of state and Justice a rung down. But the remit Lammy inherits is wide. The Lord Chancellor is the guardian of the courts and the rule of law. The Justice Secretary controls prisons policy, probation, legal aid and major bills affecting rights. As Deputy Prime Minister, he also becomes a top fixer across Whitehall. Power in government is not just about the brass plate on the door; it is about the problems a minister gets to solve.

For Yvette Cooper, the switch to the Foreign Office is a test of range. She has deep experience in domestic security and migration from her Home Office and Treasury years, and a reputation for hawkish detail. Now she will take point on Ukraine, the Middle East, China policy and Europe. Cooper had a short stint as shadow foreign secretary back in 2010, but this is the first time she will lead on diplomacy in government, with the task of giving allies continuity after Lammy’s brisk first year.

Shabana Mahmood’s move to the Home Office brings a barrister’s eye to a department known for operational grind. She has fronted big jobs before, including chairing Labour’s election campaign and serving in Treasury and Justice briefs. At the Home Office, she faces migration pressures, serious and organised crime, counter-terror policy and police standards. Expect early signals on small boats strategy, a reset with policing leaders and a cautious review of surveillance and tech powers.

Steve Reed, now at Housing, Communities and Local Government, has long made the case for strong local leadership and reform of the private rented sector. The housing brief matters for growth, planning reform and the party’s promises on new homes. He inherits the complex job of fixing a planning system jammed by local objections and slow approvals, plus the ongoing safety work that followed the Grenfell disaster.

Pat McFadden at Work and Pensions will steer welfare and pensions policy as the government tries to lift employment, improve skills and manage the disability and sickness backlog. His job intersects with the Treasury and Business departments on growth and labour market reform.

Darren Jones, as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, effectively becomes the prime minister’s operations chief on cross-cutting reforms. Add that to his current brief running budgets and coordination in No. 10, and you get a central hub for delivery, data and crisis management.

The approvals came from the Palace on 5 September 2025, locking in a new lineup barely 14 months into Labour’s term. After the summer, Starmer wanted a steady domestic agenda and fewer distractions. He did not get that. But he has tried to turn a resignation into a show of grip: decisive moves, familiar faces, and clear lines of responsibility.

What Lammy inherits at Justice—and why it matters

The Justice Department has more moving parts than most outsiders realise. Courts and tribunals are still digging out from years of delays. Prisons are crowded and short on staff. Probation is under pressure after past reforms. Legal aid is thin in many areas. And the court estate itself needs money and maintenance. Every one of those problems shapes public trust.

Lammy will also wear the ancient title of Lord Chancellor. That comes with constitutional duties: upholding the rule of law, defending the independence of judges and overseeing senior judicial appointments. In practice, the role often becomes the government’s sounding board with the legal profession and the courts when policy and rights collide.

What will change first? Watch for four early moves. One, a plan to expand prison capacity while cutting reoffending through education, addiction treatment and work schemes. Two, measures to cut the court backlog, including more sitting days, better case management and expanded use of digital hearings for simple matters. Three, a review of legal aid deserts where people cannot get timely advice. Four, a reset on race and fairness in charging and sentencing, drawing on the Lammy Review’s unfinished business.

Sentencing policy will be a flashpoint. Ministers will weigh longer terms for the most violent offenders against evidence that certainty of punishment and rehabilitation do more to reduce crime than blanket sentence hikes. The public wants both safety and fairness. The budget is finite. Those trade-offs define the next year.

Human rights will sit in the background of almost every decision. Whether it is protest laws, surveillance powers or immigration enforcement, the department will navigate the line between robust policing and lawful limits. The Lord Chancellor has to defend judges in the media on days when rulings go against ministers, and still keep Cabinet colleagues onside.

On prisons, the immediate crunch is space and staffing. New blocks take time. So the department will look at smarter use of temporary accommodation, fast-tracking education and drug treatment programs, and better tracking of offenders who can be safely managed in the community. Probation will need support to make that possible without new risks.

The court system’s problems have no single fix. More judges and recorders help. So do earlier guilty pleas through stronger case building. Technology can speed simple hearings, but complex trials still need time. Any gains will come from a series of steady improvements rather than a single big reform.

Lammy’s political capital will matter. He is a known quantity to legal groups and community leaders. He has spoken for years about trust and belonging. That can help bring in outside partners, from charities that run rehabilitation programs to employers who agree to hire people leaving prison. Justice reform only sticks when it reaches beyond Whitehall.

His appointment also changes the shape of the top table. As Deputy Prime Minister, Lammy will sit across disputes between departments. That could speed decisions on cross-border issues: fraud and economic crime, youth justice, mental health in prisons, and the gray zone between policing and social policy. It gives Starmer a fixer who knows both politics and law.

What about foreign policy after Lammy’s departure from FCDO? Expect continuity, not rupture. As Foreign Secretary, he worked to reset ties with the European Union on trade and security, pushed a close stance with Washington and kept firm support for Ukraine while navigating the Gaza conflict. He built an easy rapport with US Vice President JD Vance that smoothed early contacts. Cooper inherits those networks and will look to add her own grip on security-heavy files.

Cooper will also have to keep pace with fast-moving crises. Ukraine’s needs change month to month. The Middle East remains volatile. China policy blends trade, technology controls and human rights. The FCDO must coordinate with Defence, Business and the Treasury in real time, and show allies that London’s agenda is stable despite the reshuffle.

At the Home Office, Mahmood’s first tests will be practical. Small boats crossings rise and fall with the weather but demand steady policy. Police confidence is patchy after a series of scandals and culture reviews. The Home Office also owns counter-terrorism powers that need constant oversight. A calm, lawyerly approach could buy time to write a longer plan.

Housing is where many voters will judge this government. Reed will need a credible path to more homes, faster planning decisions and landlord-tenant rules that feel fair. That means battling bottlenecks in planning departments, dealing with local objections, and finding workable incentives for builders while keeping safety reforms on track.

McFadden’s DWP faces the reality of an ageing population, higher sickness rates keeping people out of work, and the need to move more people into stable jobs. That requires coordination with the education and business teams on skills, apprenticeships and health support that actually works.

For all the movement, the politics are simple. A resignation forced Starmer’s hand. He tried to turn it into momentum. The Prime Minister placed trusted figures in roles where delivery, not rhetoric, will decide the next election timeline. Ministers say there is no early poll on the cards. That puts pressure on results in the here and now.

Rayner’s exit still matters on its own terms. She served as Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary and was a vocal champion for workers’ rights and social housing. The independent review found a breach of the code over tax on property, specifically stamp duty liability. She shouldered the responsibility and stood down. That ends one argument but starts another about standards and how quickly parties act when issues come up.

What exactly is the ministerial code? It is a rulebook for conduct: conflicts of interest, financial interests, use of government resources, accuracy in Parliament and the duty to uphold the law. Breaches do not always mean sacking; context matters. But the political cost rises when the subject is tax. Voters take a hard line when ministers fall short on rules that apply to everyone.

The constitutional steps here were formal and fast. The Prime Minister advised the King, who approved the appointments. Secretaries of State received seals of office. The Lord Chancellor took on legal duties tied to centuries of precedent. Behind the ceremony is an unglamorous job: call the permanent secretaries, settle private office arrangements, get the red boxes moving and make sure the first set of decisions do not slip.

Inside No. 10, the mood is likely focused on delivery timetables. Justice will draft a 100-day plan. The Foreign Office will line up Europe and Washington visits to show continuity. The Home Office will aim to steady operations while signalling next steps. Housing and DWP will pull in data on where the biggest wins can come fastest. And the centre, through Darren Jones, will try to keep all of that moving in sync.

There is no hiding place for Cabinet-level ministers in this media cycle. Lammy’s background makes him a compelling messenger for justice reform, but results will be judged on fewer delays, safer streets and fewer people reoffending. Cooper will be judged on steadiness with allies and crisis handling. Mahmood will be judged on crime, migration and police standards. Reed will be judged on homes built and planning decisions sped up. McFadden will be judged on people moving into work and fair support for those who cannot.

What should the public look for next? Three signs. First, a Justice Department statement setting out how it will cut delays in the courts and where the first new prison places will come from. Second, a diplomatic agenda from the Foreign Office confirming the next steps with the EU and a joint plan with allies on Ukraine support. Third, a Home Office operational update on policing standards and border enforcement, with metrics people can track without a law degree.

If that sounds dry, it is because the stakes are high. Cabinet dramas make headlines. But the hard yards happen in budgets, guidance notes and case files. The reshuffle put new names on the doors. What matters now is whether those names can move numbers.

There is another angle to Lammy’s appointment. As Deputy Prime Minister, he is also the government’s political firefighter. When storms hit, he will be sent out to defend decisions and explain trade-offs. When departments clash, he will chair the meeting that finds a middle path. The combination with Justice gives him both authority and responsibility; it also gives him very little room to hide.

Back in Tottenham, his constituency roots have shaped how he talks about crime and community. He has argued that belonging is not just a policy word; it is the difference between people choosing order or walking away from it. Expect that theme to show up in how he frames prison education, youth services and the link between stable work and lower reoffending.

The reshuffle also tested Labour’s bench strength. Moving Cooper, Mahmood, Reed, McFadden and Jones within hours showed depth and discipline. It also raised the bar. Voters now see a refreshed top team. Delivery has to follow.

Here is the new order and the immediate in-tray for each:

• David Lammy, Deputy Prime Minister, Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor: court delays, prison capacity, probation, legal aid, rights and constitutional duties.
• Yvette Cooper, Foreign Secretary: Ukraine, Middle East, China, EU reset, coordination with Defence and Treasury.
• Shabana Mahmood, Home Secretary: migration operations, serious crime, policing standards, counter-terror powers.
• Steve Reed, Housing, Communities and Local Government: planning reform, housing supply, building safety, local government finance.
• Pat McFadden, Work and Pensions: employment support, disability and sickness backlogs, pensions policy.
• Darren Jones, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister: cross-government delivery, crisis response, data and service reform.

Politics rewards those who keep their heads when plans blow up. A resignation forced a plan change. Starmer gambled that moving quickly, and handing big jobs to trusted operators, would steady the ship. Now the work begins where it always does in government: in the grind.