Five newly elected MPs have been given junior ministerial roles by Sir Keir Starmer. Although it is highly uncommon for members of Parliament with no previous experience in parliament to be given governmental roles, these MPs have been appointed to parliamentary Secretaries and Ministerial positions. Sarah Sackman, a planning and local government law specialist, was made Solicitor General, whereas Georgia Gould, the leader of Sir Keir’s local Camden council, will serve as a Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office. Kirsty McNeill, a charity executive and previous PM advisor to Gordon Brown, was appointed as a junior minister in the Scotland Office. Economist Miatta Fahnbulleh was given a Junior Ministerial position in the Department for Energy Security, and Net Zero, whereas former Royal Marine Colonel Alistair Carns was appointed to the Minister of Veterans position.
Other MPs appointed into position last week, such as Douglas Alexander, the former minister in the Blair and Brown governments, former deputy mayor of London Heidi Alexander, and ex-shadow cabinet minister Emma Reynolds, returned to politics after years away from Parliament. Additionally, Jess Phillips returns to the Labour frontbench as a junior minister in the Home Office. Phillips was shadow domestic violence minister but resigned from her post last November to vote for a Gaza ceasefire in Parliament.
The appointments list is not yet complete, but it is apparent that several members of the shadow frontbench Starmer had appointed last week will not be going into government. This will cause frustration to the MPs who were previously appointed that have been overlooked in favor of fresh faces. It is a calculated risk that the new prime minister clearly believes he can take given the significant size of his majority.
The new appointments give Sir Keir Starmer an opportunity to present fresh ideas and approaches to senior governmental roles. With various backgrounds and specialties, they will be able to offer a unique perspective to the departmental decision making processes. Nonetheless, it remains to be seen how successful these appointments will be
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