The Conservatives have warned the UK is facing “economic disaster” as Sir Keir Starmer launched a rejig of his Downing Street team.
Under the reshuffle announced today, Darren Jones, the MP for Bristol North West, is now the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, with James Murray, MP for Ealing North, taking his role as Rachel Reeves’s deputy.
Chipping Norton MP Dan Tomlinson is taking on Mr Murray’s role as the Government’s “growth mission champion.”
The move has been slammed by senior Tories, who accused the Prime Minister of not showing confidence in his own Chancellor.
Shadow Secretary of State for Business Andrew Griffith said: “Not the largest vote of confidence in Rachel Reeves…Bringing Rachel Reeves’s right-hand man into No10 can only mean poor Keir Starmer is suffering from post-summer holiday sunstroke.
“We are facing economic disaster, the PM needs to understand it’s the tune that needs to change, not just the orchestra.”
Shadow Secretary for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Victoria Atkins, said: “Congratulations to James Murray for his promotion.
“Turns out that shutting farms down and causing huge distress to rural communities is rewarded by Keir Starmer.”
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Reacting to the news, a Reform UK spokesman said: “Spoiler alert: the Titanic still sank.”
Ms Reeves is thought to have made it through the summer reshuffle despite Sir Keir refusing to guarantee her future after her tears in the Commons shook the markets in July.
The biggest casualty of Sir Keir’s mini-reshuffle is James Lyons, who has been moved out of Downing Street despite only being in the job for a year.
He is the second major departure, alongside Nin Pandit, Sir Keir’s principal private secretary, who is also set to leave.
The pair were brought in as part of an earlier reset after the sacking of Baroness Sue Gray as chief of staff last year.
Mr Lyon told his colleagues: “It was an honour to be asked to come in. I’m proud to have helped to get a grip on Whitehall comms after what was a difficult few first months for the Government.
“But I gave up a lot to come in, and this was never intended as a long haul. When I came back from the summer break, I told colleagues I was looking to leave by the end of the year.
“I’ve brought this forward to be part of the other changes.”
Rachel Reeves shook the markets when she cried in the Commons
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TREASURYThe re-shuffle comes as Mr Starmer admitted that “most people feel that their living standards haven’t gone up” in his first year in power, insisting he wants to “deliver that change as quickly as possible”.
He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I do want to go further and faster, and yes, I am frustrated. I get the frustration and anger of voters, because they want change.”