Sep 6, 2025 09:00 PM
(This post was last modified: Sep 6, 2025 09:27 PM by C C.)
Background for the Home Office changes in personnel is covered in the second article below.
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Farage puts spotlight on Labour woes at Reform UK conference
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9wdkd581z0o
EXCERPT: The resignation of Angela Rayner had already threatened to distract from Nigel Farage's keynote speech in Birmingham. But when the Reform leader's aides realised Keir Starmer was using that departure to start a full-blown cabinet reshuffle, they decided Farage should head to the stage almost immediately.
As the news blared out across the cafes and bars of the National Exhibition Centre, party members rushed to take their seats. Reform conferences have become slick, big-budget affairs so few seemed surprised when pyrotechnics marked the leader's arrival on stage.
"This government is deep in crisis," Farage said, attempting to take advantage of Labour's woes. He argued that the cabinet were "wholly unqualified people to run our country."
"They're not fit to govern", he said. "We are the party that stands up for decent working people, and we are the party on the rise."
In an off-the-cuff speech, Farage claimed that instability on the left of politics meant that a general election could take place as early as 2027 - although Starmer is more likely to call one in 2029. This seemed part of a wider argument that Reform should ramp up its campaigning activities and be prepared for all eventualities.
After the party's success at May's local and mayoral elections, he argued the 2026 races for the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd would be "an essential building block" ahead of a UK general election.
"We will take that seriously", he said, before adding that Reform would need 5,000 vetted candidates by next year. Farage announced a new department to help Reform get ready for the possibility of government, and said the party's former chairman Zia Yusuf had been appointed its head of policy.
He pledged "serious" cuts to the benefits bill and made the bold claim that he could "stop the boats within two weeks". Farage gave no details as to how either might be achieved... (MORE - missing details)
PM shakes up Home Office in sweeping reshuffle after Rayner exit
https://nation.cymru/news/pm-shakes-up-h...ayner-exit
EXCERPTS: Sir Keir Starmer is carrying out a major reshuffle, including wide-ranging changes at the Home Office, as he seeks to tighten his grip on immigration and draw a line under Angela Rayner’s resignation. Former borders minister Dame Angela Eagle and former policing minister Dame Diana Johnson have been moved to other departments in the clear-out.
The changes follow a sweeping Cabinet-level shake-up on Friday after former deputy prime minister Ms Rayner quit Government for breaching the ministerial code over a property purchase earlier this year.
Yvette Cooper was replaced as Home Secretary by Shabana Mahmood and took over as Foreign Secretary from David Lammy, who has been made Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary. Former industry minister Sarah Jones will become policing minister, a brief she held in opposition, as part of Ms Mahmood’s new-look team, it is understood.
Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones earlier denied that the Government was in crisis and insisted Sir Keir now has the “strongest team” in place around the Cabinet table following Ms Rayner’s departure. He ruled out the prospect of an early election amid opposition claims that the upheaval could open up splits within Labour and collapse the Prime Minister’s authority.
[...] Ms Rayner quit as deputy prime minister, housing secretary and deputy Labour leader after an independent ethics investigation found she had failed to pay enough stamp duty on a seaside flat she bought in May. [...] Her sudden departure prompted the first major reshuffle of Sir Keir’s premiership, in which he sacked two ministers, promoted two and moved 10 into different roles.
Former Commons leader Lucy Powell and former Scotland secretary Ian Murray were dismissed and replaced with ex-chief whip Sir Alan Campbell and former trade minister Douglas Alexander respectively.
A number of junior ministerial changes were made on Saturday, including:
– Dame Angela moving from the Home Office to serve as a minister in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
– Dame Diana has been replaced as policing minister by Ms Jones, and will now serve as a minister in the Department for Work and Pensions.
– Dan Jarvis has been made a Cabinet Office minister, while remaining a minister in the Home Office.
– Businessman and former Grimsby Town FC chairman Jason Stockwood has been made investment minister. Mr Stockwood has stepped away from his duties at the club and will be given a peerage in order to take on the role.
– Farming minister Daniel Zeichner and local government minister Jim McMahon have been sacked and will return to the back benches.
No 10 said the reshuffle was focused on “delivery”, including in areas like economic growth and securing borders, and sources suggested the changes will give ministers a renewed sense of purpose.
Losing his deputy will cause a headache for Sir Keir as he seeks to reset Government following a difficult summer dominated by criticism of the small boats crisis and speculation about tax rises in the autumn Budget.
He also now faces the prospect of a party conference overshadowed by manoeuvring for the deputy leadership role vacated by Ms Rayner, who was popular among grassroots and seen as a bridge between No 10 and the wider party... (MORE - missing details)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Farage puts spotlight on Labour woes at Reform UK conference
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9wdkd581z0o
EXCERPT: The resignation of Angela Rayner had already threatened to distract from Nigel Farage's keynote speech in Birmingham. But when the Reform leader's aides realised Keir Starmer was using that departure to start a full-blown cabinet reshuffle, they decided Farage should head to the stage almost immediately.
As the news blared out across the cafes and bars of the National Exhibition Centre, party members rushed to take their seats. Reform conferences have become slick, big-budget affairs so few seemed surprised when pyrotechnics marked the leader's arrival on stage.
"This government is deep in crisis," Farage said, attempting to take advantage of Labour's woes. He argued that the cabinet were "wholly unqualified people to run our country."
"They're not fit to govern", he said. "We are the party that stands up for decent working people, and we are the party on the rise."
In an off-the-cuff speech, Farage claimed that instability on the left of politics meant that a general election could take place as early as 2027 - although Starmer is more likely to call one in 2029. This seemed part of a wider argument that Reform should ramp up its campaigning activities and be prepared for all eventualities.
After the party's success at May's local and mayoral elections, he argued the 2026 races for the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd would be "an essential building block" ahead of a UK general election.
"We will take that seriously", he said, before adding that Reform would need 5,000 vetted candidates by next year. Farage announced a new department to help Reform get ready for the possibility of government, and said the party's former chairman Zia Yusuf had been appointed its head of policy.
He pledged "serious" cuts to the benefits bill and made the bold claim that he could "stop the boats within two weeks". Farage gave no details as to how either might be achieved... (MORE - missing details)
PM shakes up Home Office in sweeping reshuffle after Rayner exit
https://nation.cymru/news/pm-shakes-up-h...ayner-exit
EXCERPTS: Sir Keir Starmer is carrying out a major reshuffle, including wide-ranging changes at the Home Office, as he seeks to tighten his grip on immigration and draw a line under Angela Rayner’s resignation. Former borders minister Dame Angela Eagle and former policing minister Dame Diana Johnson have been moved to other departments in the clear-out.
The changes follow a sweeping Cabinet-level shake-up on Friday after former deputy prime minister Ms Rayner quit Government for breaching the ministerial code over a property purchase earlier this year.
Yvette Cooper was replaced as Home Secretary by Shabana Mahmood and took over as Foreign Secretary from David Lammy, who has been made Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary. Former industry minister Sarah Jones will become policing minister, a brief she held in opposition, as part of Ms Mahmood’s new-look team, it is understood.
Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones earlier denied that the Government was in crisis and insisted Sir Keir now has the “strongest team” in place around the Cabinet table following Ms Rayner’s departure. He ruled out the prospect of an early election amid opposition claims that the upheaval could open up splits within Labour and collapse the Prime Minister’s authority.
[...] Ms Rayner quit as deputy prime minister, housing secretary and deputy Labour leader after an independent ethics investigation found she had failed to pay enough stamp duty on a seaside flat she bought in May. [...] Her sudden departure prompted the first major reshuffle of Sir Keir’s premiership, in which he sacked two ministers, promoted two and moved 10 into different roles.
Former Commons leader Lucy Powell and former Scotland secretary Ian Murray were dismissed and replaced with ex-chief whip Sir Alan Campbell and former trade minister Douglas Alexander respectively.
A number of junior ministerial changes were made on Saturday, including:
– Dame Angela moving from the Home Office to serve as a minister in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
– Dame Diana has been replaced as policing minister by Ms Jones, and will now serve as a minister in the Department for Work and Pensions.
– Dan Jarvis has been made a Cabinet Office minister, while remaining a minister in the Home Office.
– Businessman and former Grimsby Town FC chairman Jason Stockwood has been made investment minister. Mr Stockwood has stepped away from his duties at the club and will be given a peerage in order to take on the role.
– Farming minister Daniel Zeichner and local government minister Jim McMahon have been sacked and will return to the back benches.
No 10 said the reshuffle was focused on “delivery”, including in areas like economic growth and securing borders, and sources suggested the changes will give ministers a renewed sense of purpose.
Losing his deputy will cause a headache for Sir Keir as he seeks to reset Government following a difficult summer dominated by criticism of the small boats crisis and speculation about tax rises in the autumn Budget.
He also now faces the prospect of a party conference overshadowed by manoeuvring for the deputy leadership role vacated by Ms Rayner, who was popular among grassroots and seen as a bridge between No 10 and the wider party... (MORE - missing details)