The British Prime Minister's Office announced on July 5 that the newly elected Prime Minister Keir Starmer formed a new cabinet on the same day.
In the new Cabinet, Angela Renner has been appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Development, Housing and Communities. Rachel Reeves is Chancellor of the Exchequer, the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer in British history. In addition, David Lamy was appointed Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Yvette Cooper for Home Affairs, and John Healy for Secretary of Defense. Among them, Angela, Rachel and Yvette are all women.
Some analysts have pointed out that this means that three of the five major political positions in the UK are held by women. Starmer's cabinet includes a record 11 women.
▲Angela Renner
The appointment of 44-year-old Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Development, Housing and Communities is a former deputy leader of the Labour Party and a high-profile "star member" of the Labour Party's campaign movement.
Like Starmer, Angela also likes to emphasize her "grassroots roots". She grew up living in a slum and dropped out of school when she became pregnant at the age of 16 to become a nurse. After many years of working in the trade union, she finally entered parliament and began her political career.
According to the report, Angela has always been outspoken, which has won her the love of many fans, but also attracted a lot of criticism. In 2021, she was revealed to have called some Conservative colleagues "despicable scum", but she refused to apologize.
▲ Rachel Reeves
For the first time, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, considered to be the most powerful position after the Prime Minister, has been held by a woman. The 45-year-old pointed out the importance of the position on social media: "I will be the first female chancellor of the exchequer [in British history], I know the responsibilities that this position entails, and I am ready for it." I want to tell every woman who sees this news not to limit your ambitions. ”
Rachel had a background in finance before being appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer – having worked in the Bank of England and private financial institutions, and admits she knows the challenges lie ahead.
It has been reported that Labour's first priority after coming to power is to promote economic growth, but this task now seems difficult to achieve.
Rachel, who has just taken over the British economy from the Conservative Party, said frankly in an interview: "I know we don't have much money left, and I know how challenging I am going to be. ”
Rachel said she would rely on private companies or sectors to fill the funding gap, "Private sector investment is the lifeblood of a successful economy." We need to unleash the dynamism of private sector investment. ”
▲ David
David, 51, is the only black cabinet minister in Starmer's cabinet. Like Starmer, David worked as a lawyer. David was born in London, to parents who immigrated from Guyana. Guyana was a British colony until its independence in 1966.
Reiterating on July 5 that he unequivocally supports an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and will do everything in his power to help release the remaining Israeli hostages, he said: "Our task now is to support an immediate ceasefire and the release of the remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip through diplomatic efforts." (Red Star News Comprehensive Report)