British Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed Shabana Mahmood - a lawmaker of Pakistani origin - as the United Kingdom’s new interior minister (Home Secretary) on Friday.
The move came during a sweeping cabinet reshuffle following the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner.
At 44, Mahmood becomes the most senior Muslim in UK politics, marking a milestone in Britain’s political landscape. A former barrister, she has been a Member of Parliament since 2010, holding multiple shadow portfolios over the years. Most recently, she served as justice minister in Starmer’s cabinet.
Notably, Mahmood declined to serve under Jeremy Corbyn when he was Labour leader, underscoring her independent political stance.
Starmer’s reshuffle after Rayner’s exit
The cabinet shake-up followed the resignation of Angela Rayner, who stepped down after Britain’s independent adviser ruled she had breached the ministerial code by failing to pay the correct tax.
Her departure triggered a deeper reshuffle than expected, forcing Starmer to assert control and rebuild authority after more than a week of political turbulence.
Alongside Mahmood’s appointment:
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Yvette Cooper, who previously headed the Home Office, was named foreign minister.
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David Lammy was promoted to deputy prime minister and justice secretary.
A Labour lawmaker commented that while Rayner was a “big beast and hard to replace,” the three new appointments were “sound” choices, even if not particularly dramatic.
Loyal allies brought in
Starmer has leaned on what he described as his “loyal friends” to stabilize the government. The reshuffle comes just a week after he reshaped his Downing Street team to strengthen his economic advisory unit.
With Mahmood’s appointment, Starmer signals a fresh direction for the Home Office, while also broadening representation at the highest level of government.
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