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David Lammy, Rachel Reeves and Steve Reed are among the first high profile cabinet ministers to be shown the door by new Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Lammy, until now the deputy prime minister and foreign secretary, announced he was leaving government on social media, while Reed, seen as an arch-loyalist to Keir Starmer, said he was ‘disappointed to be leaving government now’ in a letter to Burnham. Tottenham MP Lammy said he ‘would have been proud to continue serving in cabinet. But a new prime minister is entitled to build his own team’. He added he would ‘support this Labour government from the backbenches and do everything I can to help defeat Reform again at the next general election’. In a post on X, Reeves wrote: ‘It has been the privilege of my life to serve as the Chancellor of the Exchequer. ‘The economy today is stronger, fairer and more resilient because of the choices we have taken as a Labour government over the past two years. ‘I wish the very best of luck to my successor, Andy and his cabinet. ‘You have my full support and I will continue to play my part in helping this Labour government deliver the change the country needs.’ Reed, who has served as environment secretary and housing secretary since Labour won the general election in 2024, said: ‘We won power the hard way. I was part of the campaign that fought to save our party and take it back to power against all the odds after our worst-ever election defeat’. ‘You can’t make funding fairer for the rest of England by making it unfair on Londoners,’ he added. ‘I’m proud to be a London MP and I’ll always fight to ensure London is treated fairly as you explore new models of devolution, taxation and funding.’ By David Lynch and Will Durrant, Press Association Political Staff source: PA Copyright 2026 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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