As Sir Keir Starmer shuffled his senior team today, Angela Rayner was transferred to a new mandate in the Shadow Cabinet.
She has been named the next Shadow Secretary of State for Communities, Housing, and Levelling Up.
Rayner cannot be moved from her role as Deputy Leader, given it is an elected position, but her title has been changed to Shadow Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom – signalling Starmer’s determination to win a general election.
She previously held several roles, including the Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Secretary of State for the Future of Work.
Pat McFadden, a former blairite, will replace Rayner as Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and will also take on the role of National Campaign Co-ordinator.
Lisa Nandy was demoted from the role she previously held in the Department for Levelling Up, being appointed Shadow Cabinet Minister for International Development.
Steve Reed was also given a significant demotion, being moved from the Justice Department to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Labour MP Shabana Mahmood will take his place as Secretary of State for Justice.
She was previously the Labour Party’s National Campaign Coordinator, a position she has held since 2021.
Liz Kendall, who ran against Jeremy Corbyn for the Labour Party leadership in 2015, has been named Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
She will take over for Jonathan Ashworth, who has been appointed as the Cabinet Office’s Shadow Paymaster General.
Rayner’s relationship with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has reportedly deteriorated in recent months.
A source inside the party told Sky News today’s reshuffle will be “ruthless”.
Shadow Chancellor shadow Reeves and Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper are both expected to hold on to their titles.
Starmer has been under increasing pressure in recent months to make changes to his top team in order to boost Labour’s standing in the polls.