The Prime Minister’s Office has confirmed that the King approved ministerial appointments across the UK government on 20 July 2026, including new leaders for the Treasury, defence, health, justice and other departments.
The appointments were published by 10 Downing Street following changes to the government’s senior ministerial team. The announcement covers Cabinet ministers, ministers attending Cabinet and office-holders remaining in their existing roles.
The changes also confirm a series of departures from government. No reasons for those departures were included in the announcement.
King Approves New Ministerial Appointments
The appointments place new ministers in charge of several major departments while others remain in their existing roles. The announcement also assigns joint responsibilities across the Cabinet Office, Foreign Office and the department responsible for business, innovation, science and trade.
Some ministers will hold full Cabinet membership, while others will attend Cabinet because of their departmental or cross-government responsibilities. The approved appointments include senior roles covering public spending, national security, public services and relations across the UK.
- Full Cabinet roles: Senior secretaries of state will lead the main government departments.
- Cabinet attendance: Several ministers of state and law officers will attend Cabinet.
- Continuing appointments: Existing ministers remain in selected departments and parliamentary leadership roles.
John Healey Appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer
John Healey has been appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, taking responsibility for the Treasury. Emma Reynolds becomes Chief Secretary to the Treasury and will attend Cabinet.
Anneliese Midgley has been appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Chief Whip. She will be a member of Cabinet and will oversee government business and party discipline in the House of Commons.
Foreign Affairs, Cabinet Office and Home Office Roles
Ed Miliband has been appointed Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs. Louise Haigh becomes First Secretary of State, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office.
Shabana Mahmood will remain Home Secretary. Hamish Falconer has been appointed Minister for Intergovernmental Relations and European Relations in a joint role across the Cabinet Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and will attend Cabinet.
Health, Defence and Justice Departments Receive New Secretaries
Yvette Cooper has been appointed Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, while Wes Streeting becomes Secretary of State for Defence. Alex Norris has been appointed Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice.
The three appointments place new ministers in charge of the NHS and social care system, the armed forces and defence administration, and the courts and justice system. Their appointments take effect as part of the wider government changes approved by the King.
- Health: Yvette Cooper will lead the Department of Health and Social Care.
- Defence: Wes Streeting will oversee defence policy and the armed forces.
- Justice: Alex Norris will serve as Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary.
Economic, Education and Technology Portfolios Change
Jonathan Reynolds has been appointed Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. Lucy Powell becomes Secretary of State for Education, while Lisa Nandy takes responsibility for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
Kanishka Narayan has been appointed Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence in a joint role across the Cabinet Office and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. He will attend Cabinet.
Housing, Environment and Energy Appointments Confirmed
Angela Rayner has been appointed Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. Dame Angela Eagle becomes Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, while Miatta Fahnbulleh takes charge of Energy Security and Net Zero.
Matthew Pennycook will remain a Minister of State in the housing department and will attend Cabinet. The appointments cover housing delivery, local government, environmental policy, food and farming, and the UK’s energy system.
Nations, Parliament and Law Officer Roles Announced
Stephen Kinnock has been appointed Secretary of State for Wales, while Sir Chris Bryant becomes Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Douglas Alexander will remain Secretary of State for Scotland.
Ellie Reeves has been appointed Attorney General and will attend Cabinet. Alan Campbell will remain Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons, while Baroness Smith of Basildon continues as Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords.
Cabinet Appointment Overview
| Minister | Appointment | Cabinet Status |
|---|---|---|
| John Healey | Chancellor of the Exchequer | Cabinet member |
| Ed Miliband | Foreign Secretary | Cabinet member |
| Louise Haigh | First Secretary of State | Cabinet member |
| Yvette Cooper | Health and Social Care Secretary | Cabinet member |
| Wes Streeting | Defence Secretary | Cabinet member |
| Alex Norris | Justice Secretary | Cabinet member |
| Ellie Reeves | Attorney General | Attends Cabinet |
Continuing Ministers Remain in Government
Pat McFadden will remain Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, while Heidi Alexander continues as Transport Secretary. Bridget Phillipson will remain a full Cabinet member as Minister for Women and Equalities and will report to the Prime Minister.
The announcement also confirms continuing appointments for Shabana Mahmood at the Home Office, Douglas Alexander at the Scotland Office and the leaders of both Houses of Parliament. These ministers retain their existing responsibilities within the new government team.
Former Ministers Leave Government
Rachel Reeves has left the government, alongside Darren Jones and Nick Thomas-Symonds. Peter Kyle, Steve Reed and Liz Kendall have also departed.
David Lammy, Hilary Benn, Lord Hermer and Jo Stevens are also listed as having left the government. Downing Street did not provide further detail about the circumstances of the departures in the appointments notice.
The July appointments establish a revised ministerial team across the Treasury, foreign affairs, defence, health, justice, housing, energy and other departments. Several ministers remain in their existing roles, while new ministers will attend Cabinet through cross-government, legal and departmental responsibilities. The announcement also confirms the departure of a number of former ministers without providing additional reasons or transition details.
Sources: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street.
Prepared by Ivan Alexander Golden, Founder of THX News, an independent news organisation delivering timely insights from global official sources. Combines AI-analysed research with human-edited accuracy and context.
