The former shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry has said she is “very sorry and surprised” not to be appointed to the role in the new Labour cabinet, after Keir Starmer appointed the human rights barrister Richard Hermer to the role in government.
Thornberry, who was a longstanding member of the shadow cabinet under Starmer and Jeremy Corbyn, had been widely expected to get another post but has not so far been offered one.
Thornberry said she was leaving cabinet “after eight-and-a-half unbroken years … a longer record of service than anyone else”. She said she had “always worked my hardest to keep the Labour party united”.
She said she wished the new cabinet well and said Hermer was “a much more accomplished lawyer than I could ever hope to be”. She added: “Nothing in the personal disappointment I feel can detract from the amazing and historic victory” and said she would give her “unstinting loyalty” to Keir Starmer.
Her statement came amid a raft of new appointments by the new prime minister, including that of transport minister for Lord Peter Hendy, the chair of Network Rail and former head of Transport for London, who was previously a crossbench peer.
Labour has plans to renationalise the rail network as well as introduce bus franchising, giving new powers to local areas over bus routes, which is the system TfL currently operates.
Anneliese Dodds, the former party chair, has been confirmed as development minister. She keeps her women and equalities portfolio, and will attend cabinet.
Lord Spencer Livermore, a key Labour strategist during Tony Blair’s government, has also been appointed as financial secretary to the Treasury.
The new ministerial appointments also signal a shake-up of those who did some of the roles in opposition. Stephen Kinnock, the shadow immigration minister, moves to be a minister in the Department of Health. Angela Eagle, a minister under Tony Blair, joins the Home Office as a minister.
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Nick Thomas-Symonds, who was Starmer’s original choice for shadow home secretary, becomes paymaster general, which was the shadow role held by Jonathan Ashworth until he lost his seat at the election. Thomas-Symonds will be given the portfolio of relations with EU states.
Diana Johnson, the former chair of the home affairs select committee, will become a Home Office minister. Heidi Alexander, a Labour MP who returned to parliament at the election having left to become a deputy mayor under Sadiq Khan, will be a justice minister.
Catherine McKinnell, another select committee chair, has been made an education minister, as has Chris Bryant with a joint portfolio in science and culture. Alison McGovern, who stepped up to cover for the now work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall while she took leave for an operation, will be a minister in that department, along with Stephen Timms.