LONDON – Rachel Reeves becomes the UK’s first female finance minister while David Lammy is appointed as foreign secretary. The United Kingdom’s newly elected Keir Starmer has announced key members of his ministerial team after his centre-left Labour Party’s landslide general election victory ended 14 years of Conservative rule.

Starmer on Friday appointed Rachel Reeves as finance minister, the first woman to hold the post in UK history. The former child chess champion and Bank of England economist has pledged to grow the nation’s economy while showing strong fiscal discipline.

“It is the honour of my life to have been appointed chancellor of the exchequer,” Reeves wrote on social media platform X. “To every young girl and woman reading this, let today show that there should be no limits on your ambitions.” Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves together on the campaign trail. They are smiling.

Starmer appointed David Lammy, a trailblazing lawmaker, as foreign secretary. Born to Guyanese immigrants, Lammy grew up in Tottenham, an area of north London, where he has represented in Parliament since 2000. Lammy became the youngest member of parliament (MP) when he was first elected at age 27. He soon gained ministerial experience, serving in the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. Lammy on Friday reiterated his support for international efforts to secure an “immediate ceasefire” in Israel’s war on Gaza and for the release of remaining hostages after he was named foreign secretary.

The 51-year-old said he would “get to work with tireless diplomacy” towards those twin aims. “All of us recognise the agony of communities who have seen the scenes coming out of Israel and Gaza,” Lammy said from the Foreign Office. (Aljazeera)…[+]