Yet another Manchester MP, Jonathan Reynolds, returns to his old gig of business secretary. It was a job he happily served in under Starmer until he was made chief whip. He did little to hide his disappointment at that reshuffle.

Reynolds is replaced in that key role enforcing discipline and scoping support among Labour MPs by Anneliese Midgley, another one of Burnham’s so-called “Northern Queens” — the women who helped run his by-election campaign. The former trade unionist is seen as having broad popularity across Labour MPs and escaped much of the factionalism of the last decade.

To the reforming pastures

One loser of the reshuffle is Yvette Cooper. She was demoted from foreign secretary to health secretary, though that is set to become a much more politically high-profile role as Burnham has pledged to expend political capital by trying to reform Britain’s expensive and ineffective social care system.

Like Cooper, Pat McFadden is a Starmer ally who has survived the cull. And he also has a big reforming brief in store. By keeping McFadden on as work and pensions secretary, Burnham is signaling he really is serious about getting to grips with Britain’s welfare problem.

And Lisa Nandy will stay on as secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport — a title that adds digital responsibility. This comes at Burnham vows to wind down the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Kanishka Narayan, who became an MP in the 2024 election and had overseen AI policy as a junior minister, is now AI minister — a role that will report to both the Cabinet Office and DCMS and involve attending Cabinet meetings — a step up from his previous job.

Esther Webber, Mizy Clifton and Charlie Cooper contributed to this report.