Blairites are back

Starmer shakes up top team with jobs for New Labour veterans

- Martyn Brown

SIR Keir Starmer lurched further towards the Tony Blair playbook by promoting New Labour veterans in a pre-election shake-up of his top team.

The Labour leader also avoided reigniting an explosive row by formally lining Angela Rayner up to become Deputy PM should his party win power.

Despite tensions she also agreed to be moved from her Cabinet Office brief, replacing Lisa Nandy as Shadow Levelling Up Secretary.

Blairites including Liz Kendall and Pat McFadden were rewarded with big promotions as Sir Keir used a wideranging reshuffle to give moderates key positions.

On a day when the Labour leader welcomed the youngest MP, Keir Mather, 25, to the Commons there was a surprise comeback for former Cabinet minister Hilary Benn, 69, who has been made Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary.

Fellow centrist Ms Kendall was made Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, while Mr McFadden, a former political secretary to ex-PM Sir Tony, took the key job of election campaigns coordinator.