Rachel Reeves becomes Britain’s first female Chancellor, Angela Rayner is Deputy PM and David Lammy is made Foreign Secretary as Keir Starmer begins to name his Cabinet after entering No10 with a vow to ‘immediately’ begin work [Video]

10:02 EDT 05 Jul 2024, updated 15:23 EDT 05 Jul 2024

Rachel Reeves today became Britain’s first female Chancellor as Sir Keir Starmer appointed his Cabinet shortly after entering No10 for the first time as Prime Minister.

The 45-year-old, a self-confessed ‘geek’ and schoolgirl chess champion, is one of Sir Keir’s closest allies and will be the first woman to lead the Treasury in its 1,000-year history.

Angela Rayner had earlier been the first arrival in Downing Street this afternoon as Labour’s deputy leader walked down the famous London street before being named Deputy Prime Minister.

She was also appointed Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary as she was handed a portfolio focused on her party’s planned housebuilding blitz.

Ms Rayner was later followed into Downing Street by David Lammy, Yvette Cooper and John Healey. They were duly appointed as Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary and Defence Secretary, respectively.

Sir Keir made an almost wholesale transfer of …