Labour’s cohort of trade ministers appears set after the announcement of more new ministerial roles.
Yesterday (8 July), Starmer announced new appointees to the Department for Business and Trade (DBT).
Gareth Thomas, Justin Madders and Baroness Jones of Whitchurch were appointed as junior ministers in DBT.
Baroness Jones will also serve a minister in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and a government whip in the House of Lords.
Trade policy
The government has not said what their exact portfolios will be. Madders and Thomas had previously been trade ministers in the Labour shadow cabinet.
Thomas had also been a minister under former PM Gordon Brown, helping co-ordinate trade policy between the international development and business departments and working on matters of international trade and consumer protection.
The Harrow West MP also served on the International Trade Committee in the House of Commons.
Madders has not served in government yet – he was first elected in 2015 – but during his time as a shadow minister has handled issues like industrial strategy and employment rights.
Other moves
Former DBT shadow minister Rushanara Ali has been moved to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, where she will serve as an under-secretary in the department.
As reported yesterday by the Daily Update, the housing department will no longer have ‘levelling up’ as part of its name, though senior Labour leaders have said that boosting the UK’s nations and regions remains a priority.
Tulip Siddiq has been appointed as City minister, where she is expected to lead on Labour’s financial services policy.
The Hampstead and Kilburn MP has been working on the brief since 2021. She has previously said she would push the Financial Conduct Authority to do more to “remove barriers to competitiveness and growth”.
Conservatives
The Conservative Party leadership election draws closer, after last night also saw the election for chair of the powerful 1922 Committee, which governs the rules and timeline for the contest to succeed Rishi Sunak as leader of the opposition.
Bob Blackman was elected over Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, winning by 61 votes to 37, with 98 votes cast.
However, Conservative MP Mark Francois complained that the voting system was “bent” after reports of confusion over when the meeting was taking place, resulting in senior Tories such as Jeremy Hunt and Sir Edward Leigh not being able to vote.
The rest of the committee will be picked today.
Sky News reports that a meeting on the rules and timeline of the next leadership election will be held later this week, but a firm decision was not expected imminently.