UK election latest: New cabinet in place - but 'shock' as PM Keir Starmer snubs senior figure (2024)

Former defence secretary Ben Wallace has tweeted his congratulations to Labour's John Healey, who has taken up the role.

Mr Healey had served as shadow defence secretary since 2020, while Mr Wallace was defence secretary between 2019 and 2023.

Mr Wallace said he wished his former opposition well, adding: "We agreed on much in my time."

Sir Keir Starmer took the keys to Downing Street yesterday after voters handed Labour a landslide victory in the General Election.

While timings might change, here is a look at the new PM's next few days in power...

6-7 July

The new cabinet will meet for the first time this morning.

Appointments of junior ministers are likely to continue, as will calls from world leaders and first ministers of the devolved nations.

Legislative priorities and the timing of any major policy announcements will also need to be worked out.

Sir Keir has signalled that at least three housing announcements could be made in the first two weeks of a Labour government.

9-11 July

The new parliament will be summoned to meet.

The first business will be to choose a Commons Speaker - with Sir Lindsay Hoyle set to be re-elected.

Congratulating the Speaker will be Sir Keir's first opportunity to speak at the despatch box as prime minister and he will likely offer some rhetoric on the future.

Swearing-in could begin on the same day or the next and will continue for several days.

MPs and peers will take the oath, with the government going first, followed by some other established figures.

MPs are not allowed to speak in debates, vote or receive their salary until they make an oath or solemn affirmation of allegiance to the Crown.

17 July

The King will preside over the pageantry of the state opening of parliament, marking the formal start of the new parliamentary session at the Palace of Westminster.

A key component of the ceremony is the King's Speech, where he sets out the government's legislative programme for the coming session.

18 July

The UK is hosting a gathering of the European Political Community, the body that brings all 27 EU member countries together with 20 others from outside the bloc.

Sir Keir will welcome about 50 heads of government to Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, giving him an opportunity to set the tone for his government's approach to the UK's relationship with the EU.

If you didn't manage to stay up, we've collected the key moments from a dramatic election night in the video below.

They include the first result to be declared, the first Tory to lose to a Labour candidate, and the cabinet ministers who lost their seats.

Plus Rishi Sunak's admission of defeat, and Sir Keir Starmer's victory speech.

Watch it all unfold below...

Politics is showbusiness for ugly people - according to the crude and perhaps unfair saying by American political consultant Paul Begala.

However, occasionally famous faces from the world of entertainment and sport do cross over into the ruthless, back-stabbing world of politics.

Sometimes they are hugely successful - just look at the case of the late US actor Ronald Reagan or former Pakistani cricket star Imran Khan, who both ended up running their respective countries.

In the UK, former actress Glenda Jackson, ex-GMTV presenter Esther McVey and Olympic gold medallist Sebastian Coe are among those who have switched careers in the spotlight to become MPs.

However, this time around, the story was mostly one of failure for the celebrities - and sort-of celebrities - who ran in the 2024 UK general election...

Read more from our reporter Daniel Binns below...

US secretary of state Antony Blinken has held a call with the UK's new Foreign Secretary David Lammy this evening.

During the call, the US official congratulated Mr Lammy for his appointment, spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

Mr Miller said: "The pair emphasised the enduring and essential importance of the US-UK special relationship in addressing the most pressing global challenges, including reaching an immediate and enduring ceasefire in Gaza, and supporting Ukraine against Russia's brutal aggression.

"The secretary noted that he looks forward to welcoming the foreign secretary to the NATO summit in Washington next week."

Labour MP Jess Phillips is back with Beth and Ruth to un-pick the election results.

On this episode they discuss how Jess was heckled when she narrowly held her seat of Birmingham Yardley.

They also look at the wider Labour results and talk about Rishi Sunak’s resignation speech, as well as discussing why Reform and the Liberal Democrats took seats from the two main parties.

Email Beth, Ruth, and Jess at electoraldysfunction@sky.uk, post on X to @BethRigby, or send a WhatsApp voice note on 07934 200 444.

Sir Keir Starmer and Irish premier Simon Harris have committed to reset and strengthen Anglo-Irish relations "with urgency and ambition".

The taoiseach "warmly congratulated" Sir Keir on his appointment as prime minister and said he looked forward to a "close and constructive" working relationship.

He also accepted an invite to visit Downing Street on 17 July.

"The taoiseach and the prime minister spoke of their shared determination to reset and strengthen the bilateral relationship between Ireland and the United Kingdom and to set about that task with urgency and ambition," a statement said.

"They discussed Northern Ireland, welcoming the restoration of the institutions, including the full operation of North-South and East-West Good Friday Agreement institutions, as well as legacy issues."

Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly also spoke to Sir Keir by phone and congratulated him.

Some of Sir Keir Starmer's appointments have come as a surprise this evening - not least Timpson's chief executive James Timpson becoming minister for prisons parole and probation.

The business leader is also chair of the Prison Reform Trust and has a history of employing ex-convicts within his company.

The prime minister also appointed Sir Patrick Vallance - a household name during the COVID pandemic - as minister for science, and human rights lawyer Richard Hermer KC as attorney general.

In effect, he appears to be choosing experts in their fields - but how could they be appointed without being elected as MPs?

Essentially, the prime minister has the power to appoint anyone as a minister if they first make them a peer in the House of Lords.

A similar tactic was used by Rishi Sunak to bring back former prime minister David Cameron to fill the role of foreign secretary.

Sir Keir Starmer's declaration a few days ago that he would clock off at 6pm on Fridays to spend time with his family was derided by Conservatives.

But Labour peer and former home secretary Lord Blunkett - someone who himself has experience in government - tells Sky News that Gordon Brown used to work 18-hour days, seven days a week, and it "didn't work".

'Let go of the reins'

He says this caused a "massive log jam in decision-making", and that Sir Keir could quickly face problems with "getting momentum and energy back into government".

Lord Blunkett says it's time for Sir Keir to "let go of the reins a bit", appoint a cabinet and "let them get on with it".

He argues that without this decentralisation, the government could "ground to a standstill".

The Labour leader could also face difficulties with the number of new MPs he has, Lord Blunkett says.

It will be a "substantial challenge" and they must feel "they've got a part to play", he says.

If you want to find out who your MP is now, you can search for your constituency in our article below.

Only one constituency - Inverness, Skye and West Ross - is yet to declare.