Wigan MP Lisa Nandy to take on Michael Gove in new ‘levelling up’ role

Lisa Nandy will take on Michael Gove in her new shadow cabinet role following a reshuffle of Labour’s front bench.

The Wigan MP will step down from her role shadowing foreign secretary Liz Truss to take on the ‘levelling up’ brief.

She will be replaced as shadow foreign secretary by David Lammy, the Mirror reports.

Meanwhile, Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell has been moved to the culture team following the surprise reshuffle by Keir Starmer .

The Labour leader carried out his second reshuffle in less than seven months today.

By placing Ms Nandy in her new ‘levelling up’ role she will be at the heart of Labour’s strategy for the next election.

Mr Starmer said: “I’m particularly delighted that Lisa Nandy will take on the vital role of shadowing Michael Gove and leading on the levelling up agenda.

“After 11 years of Conservative mismanagement of our economy, delivering prosperity to all regions and nations in the UK will be a defining mission of the next Labour government, and there will be nobody better than Lisa to lead this work.”

Ms Nandy said: “This is the battleground that will shape the future of our country.

“The Tories have given us a decade of empty slogans and broken promises. Keir and I will deliver a plan for Britain that matches the ambition of the British people in every community across the U.K.”

Boris Johnson had pledged to ‘level up’ the country at the last election but has struggled to articulate what that means for millions of people.

Instead he has broken promises on rail infrastructure and social care which will hit the poorest and those in the North hardest.

One Labour insider said: “We see this as a key battleground for the next general election and Lisa is a great communicator for the party.

“Keir’s been really impressed with her in foreign but wants to put her into this key domestic portfolio to make best use of her talents.”

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Mr Starmer began his reshuffle just as his deputy, Angela Rayner, started a major Westminster speech about cleaning up Tory sleaze.

The Ashton-under-Lyne MP was ambushed with questions about the timing of the latest reshuffle.

Aides said she had a “short conversation” in person with Mr Starmer before she took to the stage at the Institute for Government and after carrying out a series of TV and radio interviews.

His first reshuffle on May 9 was botched after he attempted to sideline Ms Rayner – only to hand her a series of new roles and bolster her position.

Other changes include Labour heavyweights Yvette Cooper and David Lammy making a return to the shadow cabinet.

Ms Cooper has been promoted to the Labour leader’s top team to take on Priti Patel as shadow home secretary.

And shadow justice secretary Mr Lammy, who is a personal friend of former US President Barack Obama, has been moved to the foreign office brief.

Ms Cooper, who held two Cabinet positions when Labour was last in government, is already well known with the public.

Her profile raised still further when her husband, ex-MP Ed Balls, became a household name on Strictly Come Dancing .

The Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford MP’s first frontbench role was as a health minister in Tony Blair’s New Labour government in 1999.

Mr Lammy, another Labour stalwart, has long-standing links with US Democrats while the former Remain campaigner is close to a host of European leaders.

He was pictured at the G7 last month with Olaf Scholz, who is taking over from Angela Merkel as German chancellor.

The Tottenham MP, whose constituency is one of the most international in the UK, has close links with the Caribbean region.

As a former trustee of charity ActionAid, he also has experience of the developing world.

In the reshuffle, Mr Starmer shunted Shadow Culture Secretary Jo Stevens to the Wales brief after firing Nia Griffiths.

Ex-housing spokesman Lucy Powell is believed to have taken her place.

Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds was also demoted to the International Trade portfolio.

Shadow Minister for Young People and Democracy Cat Smith quit, though it is understood she was set to be sent to the backbenches.

The new shadow cabinet

Deputy Leader, Shadow First Secretary of State, Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Secretary of State for the Future of Work: Angela Rayner

Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer: Rachel Reeves

Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Industrial Strategy: Jonathan Reynolds

Shadow Secretary of State of Climate Change and Net Zero: Ed Miliband

Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing, Communities & Local Government: Lisa Nandy

Shadow Secretary of State for Defence: John Healey

Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Lucy Powell

Shadow Secretary of State for Education: Bridget Phillipson

Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Jim McMahon

Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Affairs: David Lammy

Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care: Wes Streeting

Shadow Secretary of State for the Home Department: Yvette Cooper

Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade: Nick Thomas-Symonds

Shadow Minister of State at the Cabinet Office: Jenny Chapman

Shadow Secretary of State for Justice: Steve Reed

Shadow Secretary of State for Transport: Louise Haigh

Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, Party Chair and Chair of Labour Policy Review: Anneliese Dodds

Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions: Jonathan Ashworth

Shadow Attorney General: Emily Thornberry

Shadow Cabinet Minister for Mental Health: Rosena Allin-Khan

Shadow Cabinet Minister for International Development: Preet Gill

Shadow Chief Secretary to HM Treasury: Pat McFadden

Shadow Secretary of State for Wales: Jo Stevens

Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland: Ian Murray

Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland: Peter Kyle

National Campaign Coordinator: Shabana Mahmood

Shadow Leader of the House of Commons: Thangam Debbonaire