With the Labour Party predicted to become the largest party in the UK Parliament, here is a list of contenders for the most prominent ministerial posts.
– Deputy Prime Minister: Angela Renner –
Rainer, 44, is an exception in a country long dominated by a ruling class educated disproportionately at private schools and the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
She grew up in social housing in northern England, left school without a degree and became a single mother at 16.
She was a trade unionist before being elected to Parliament in 2015, and in 2020 she was elected as the Labour Party’s number two MP.
Her left-wing background and straight-talking style – including a strong northern accent – stand in contrast to Starmer’s more staid public persona.
She said of their partnership, “He smooths out my rough skin. I bring him out of his shell.”
As well as being deputy prime minister – in addition to replacing Starmer in weekly parliamentary questions when he is unable to attend – Rayner will also be responsible for housing policy and tackling regional inequalities.
– Finance: Rachel Reeves –
The former Bank of England economist is in line to become the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer, and lives next door to Starmer at 11 Downing Street.
Reeves, 45, has said the prospect would shatter “the last glass ceiling in politics.”
She has played a central role in Labour’s efforts over the past four years to regain voters’ trust on economic issues and insists it is now “the natural party of British business”.
Using his reputation for economic competence, Reeves, a Londoner whose younger sister is also an MP, has pledged “iron discipline” on public finances.
The former children’s chess champion, who has been an MP since 2010, has vowed to be “pro-Labor” and “pro-business” in his role overseeing the public coffers.
– Foreign Affairs: David Lammy –
Lammy, 51, a black lawmaker descended from a slaveholding family, has honed his approach to British diplomacy through dozens of foreign trips over the past two years.
He has argued that the Foreign Office needs to “rediscover the art of big strategy” in the post-Brexit era.
Lammy, who has been an MP since 2000, aged 27, will steer Britain towards closer ties with the EU – no easy task for Brussels and eurosceptic British citizens.
He may also face pressure from the left-wing faction of the Labour Party over issues such as his policy towards Israel and the war against Hamas in Gaza.
Lammy, a friend of former US President Barack Obama, may also have to deal with the potential return of Donald Trump to the White House.
He once described Trump as a “neo-Nazi pro-social activist” and a “serious threat to the international order.”
– Home Affairs: Yvette Cooper –
Cooper’s decades of political experience will undoubtedly be put to the test as he heads up the Home Office – Britain’s internal ministry – a government department that is notoriously difficult to succeed in.
Cooper, 55, an MP since the late 1990s and a minister in the 2000s, has twice been Labor’s home affairs spokesman during his 14 years in opposition.
A candidate for party leader in 2015, she is praised for her policies and understanding of details, as well as her excellent communication skills.
Immigration – a key election campaign issue and a potential weak point for Labor – will likely dominate the public discussion around his brief.
– Health: Wes Streeting –
Streeting, the fresh-faced centrist Labour Party leader, has been one of the most visible Labour leaders during the election campaign.
The 41-year-old, who comes from a working-class background in east London, is regarded as one of the party’s best communicators and is being touted as a potential future leader.
But first he will have to prove himself in one of the toughest jobs in British government, the task of reversing the decline of the country’s beloved but ailing National Health Service (NHS).
Weighed down by years of austerity under the Conservatives and still struggling to recover from the pandemic, Streeting – a cancer survivor – will rely in part on his experience of the system.
– Defense: John Haley –
Haley, a party veteran, is set to become defense secretary, as the policy area has taken on increased importance given the war in Ukraine and growing global insecurity.
The 64-year-old, who first became an MP in 1997 when Tony Blair won power for the Labour Party, held a number of government posts during the party’s 13-year tenure.
The Labor Party has promised to increase military spending to 2.5 percent of GDP (up from 2.3 percent this year) once economic conditions are favourable.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
