Desperate PM’s bloodbath purge ‘is shuffling deckchairs on sinking govt ‘ after Rayner exit as Reform take 10-point lead

SIR Keir Starmer last night used Angela Rayner’s resignation to torch his Cabinet in a do-or-die reset.

The PM asked two of his toughest allies — and — to get to grips with his biggest challenges of and .

Sir Keir Starmer last night used Angela Rayner’s resignation to implement a major cabinet reshuffle Amid the crisis on the left, Nigel Farage told his supporters he expected to become PM within two years Rayner resigned as Labour’s Deputy leader following her stamp duty scandal

Ms Mahmood has been promoted from Justice Secretary to the Home Office, where she will take charge of

She replaces , who has seen during first year in power.

Her sideways shunt to Foreign Secretary was last night being painted as a tacit admission that she had failed on borders.

Meanwhile, top Whitehall fixer Pat McFadden replaces hapless as Welfare Secretary.

One of most trusted aides — referred to by some as the real Deputy PM — he will spearhead a second stab at driving curbs past squeamish Labour MPs.

He has also absorbed the skills agenda from the department into the Department for Work and Pensions to help a wider push to get people into jobs.

Ms Kendall, blamed for — axed after a backbench mutiny — was moved to Science Secretary.

In another move, has been demoted from Foreign Secretary to the Justice brief, a role he held in opposition.

But to sugar the pill, he was handed the Deputy PM title vacated by Ms Rayner — on a new flat in Hove, East Sussex.

It means he is the second most-powerful minister in government.

His allies denied he threatened to quit over the demotion and insisted he was happy with the new job.

However, Sir Keir was last night accused of “shuffling deckchairs around on his sinking Government”.

has opened a ten-point lead in the polls over Labour — largely owing to its hardline stance on illegal migration.

Polling shows that , even above the and .

Reform leader yesterday told supporters he expects to be PM within two years and would end Channel crossings in two weeks.

Sir Keir capitalised on the departure of Ms Rayner as his No2 to bring forward the long-planned shake-up that had been pencilled in for the autumn.

He had been mulling a reshuffle over the summer but started putting a plan to paper only this week with Chief of Staff and his deputy Vidhya Alakeson.

The inner circle knew they would have to move quickly if ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus threw the book at Ms Rayner and she was forced to go.

When they pulled the trigger yesterday, the news blindsided most of the Cabinet and left Whitehall departments on the hop.

As Downing Street confirmed a full-throttle reshuffle was taking place, only was guaranteed to remain.

Despite being responsible for the , Ms Mahmood — who has a reputation for being a radical reformer, including her pledge to castrate paedophiles — was handed the Home Secretary job.

Two ministers — Scottish Secretary Ian Murray and Commons Leader Lucy Powell — were sacked from the Cabinet entirely.

Ms Powell sparked uproar earlier this year by describing concerns over grooming gangs as “dog whistle” politics.

Yet other controversial ministers, including Net Zero Secretary and Attorney General survived. Both are good friends of the PM.

The affable was switched from Secretary to Chief Whip in a sign the PM wants a heavy-hitter in charge of party discipline.

He replaced long-standing enforcer Sir Alan Campbell, blamed for failing to spot the backbench ambush on welfare.

, who is very close with Chief of Staff Mr McSweeney, was promoted from Environment to Housing Secretary.

Highly regarded Health Secretary and Defence Secretary kept hold of their roles.

The overhaul followed Monday’s shake-up of No10 backroom staff which Sir Keir said had fired the starting gun on Phase Two of his administration.

leader last night mocked: “Phase Two of Starmer’s Government didn’t even last three days. He was too weak to fire the Deputy Prime Minister, even after he was told she broke the ministerial code, and now he’s shuffling deckchairs around on his sinking Government.

“The Labour Party is now engaged in a civil war for its deputy leadership. All of which will be an enormous distraction from the problems facing Britain, with the cost of borrowing reaching its highest point in decades, and inflation and unemployment rising.

“Only the Conservatives under new leadership are committed to tackling the deficit, living within our means and cutting government spending.”

Shadow Justice Secretary piled in: “The chaos engulfing the Government today is just a small taster of the carnage that is yet to come. The problems in this country are fixable.

“But, sadly, we must be prepared that it will get worse under Starmer before it can get better.”

The reshuffle shifts the balance of power in the Cabinet further away from the party’s Left and installs allies of Starmer in key posts.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy replaces Rayner as Deputy PM Former Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is now Foreign Secretary Shabana Mahmood will take over from Cooper to become the new Home Secretary

But Labour members to the Left of the leadership could vote to replace Ms Rayner with one of their tribe as deputy leader.

There was speculation last night Sir Keir would seek to axe the elected role.

Veteran left-wing Labour MP Andy McDonald told Sky News: “I think it would be a real error. The membership would be pretty cheesed-off if we have a stitch-up and miss the opportunity to have a proper contest.”

Firing a warning shot to the party leadership, he added: “If there’s going to be no option, I’m afraid that’s not consistent with the traditions of the party and it’s not consistent with the views and values of the membership.

“So we’ve got to remember who we are and what we stand for.”