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Sir Keir Starmer has relegated 31 MPs and peers to the backbenches after opting to beef up his cabinet with outside experts and fresh blood, creating a cohort of disaffected lawmakers that could “cause trouble” for the new government.
At least 22 former front bench MPs are now backbenchers, including former shadow attorney-general Emily Thornberry, shadow science minister Chi Onwurah, shadow children’s minister Helen Hayes and shadow prisons minister Ruth Cadbury.
Meanwhile, the Labour leader took the unconventional decision to promote several new MPs straight into junior front bench roles — a move that no new leader has taken since Harold Wilson formed a government in 1964.
Georgia Gould, previously leader of Labour-controlled Camden Council where she oversaw structural reforms, was made a parliamentary under secretary of state in the Cabinet Office. Economist and think-tank chief Miatta Fahnbulleh was given the role of parliamentary under secretary of state in the energy department.
Starmer also opted to bring in ministers who had formed part of previous Labour administrations, such as Douglas Alexander, a new minister in the department for business and trade who served as a cabinet minister under Tony Blair.
The Labour leader’s decision to demote dozens of MPs — many of whom toed the party line on contentious issues, including a vote last year on calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza — has sowed some discontent.
The dispossessed members may be more liable to vote against the government on major issues in the coming months.
“It’s pretty galling to be slogging away from opposition for years getting on top of your brief only for them to hand it to someone else,” said one former shadow minister. “They’ll regret passing me over, I’m capable of causing plenty of trouble when the time comes.”
Another demoted former shadow cabinet minister said the way it had been handled had “caused disappointment and dismay”. “It sends a signal that being a team player and working hard isn’t enough,” they said, adding that they now saw an opportunity to provide more “constructive criticism”.
Thornberry on Monday said she was “sorry and surprised” at Starmer’s decision to overlook her for a post in government, after he decided to appoint human rights lawyer Richard Hermer as attorney-general.
Onwurah, Hayes and Cadbury were contacted for comment.
A Labour spokesperson said: “The reality is that the number of paid ministers is capped by law, and we had an opposition front bench that was larger than that number so, unfortunately, it wasn’t possible to give everyone a role — but that doesn’t reflect a lack of appreciation for their service.”
Sachin Savur, a researcher at the Institute for Government who has crunched the numbers on the new front bench, said Starmer created “more demotions than he otherwise needed to” by bringing in so many new candidates and old Labour blood into his cabinet.
“It’s definitely a calculated risk he’s taken — even if all 20 of them vote against him, it doesn’t necessarily make a difference,” Savur added, referring to Starmer’s commanding majority in the House of Commons.
“You’re never more powerful than this period of time so, if you’re going to ruffle some feathers, now is probably the best time to do it,” he added.
At least nine peers have also been demoted to the backbenches.
Several demoted ministers will seek appointments to select committees, with Labour expected to chair at least 16 — the amount allotted to the Conservatives in the last parliament. MPs require cross-party support to be appointed at the helm of a committee.
The chairs of 10 of 27 select committees in the last parliament stood down at the election, while Starmer’s decision to appoint Stephen Timms as a work and pensions minister further diminished their ranks. Thornberry is tipped by colleagues to chair the justice committee.
Daniel Gover, senior lecturer in politics at Queen Mary University of London, noted that MPs who have been “around for some time” will be better placed to be committee chairs.
