Rachel Reeves and David Lammy have been sacked by Andy Burnham as the Prime Minister begins appointing his Cabinet.

I don’t know why Grammaretto. On one level it’s observations about clothing. On another, upon reflection, it is mean. AB’s wife didn't ask to be in the public eye. She is just doing her best to support her husband and hoping to get it right. She is not a super model. We ought not to criticise.

I feel bad I mentioned Spanx (although I would’ve to a friend before she went out in that dress).

She’s an incredibly clever successful woman and maybe just maybe she just doesn’t care how she looks (and who on earth wants to wear Spanx? ).

The dress didn’t do her any favours and it’s hard to believe it cost nearly £900!

We have some talented needlewomen on Gransnet who could no doubt run up something more flattering for a fraction of the cost.
I’d love to know their opinions.

Maybe the dress didn't cost her. Designer s love public figures (no pun intended) to model their clothes.
I can't imagine anything worse than wearing spanx in the hot weather.
It's all sexist because we never hear about what the men are wearing. They look hot and uncomfortable.

Oh gawd.
Are we back to criticising other women's clothes, again.

It took a while, must have been a soap in the telly.

MissAdventure

Oh gawd.
Are we back to criticising other women's clothes, again.

Yes we are - nice isn’t it?

If you like that sort of thing, I suppose.

Back to what matters, I was wondering what’s happened to Heidi Alexander who was Transport Secretary and whom I really rate.

Thank goodness Lammy has gone with his wild idea to cut the court waiting times by dispensing with trial by jury for a number of alledged crimes.

A system of justice that has stood for almost 800 years and has served well. The proposal to have a single judge or magistrate deal with a case, no jury, is fraught with potential error.

Just imagine someone of the mindset of Nigel Farage being in sole charge of the Bench.

Magistrates are only human and subject to preferences and prejudices. Whether or not an accused might be guilty counts for nothing if the person in authority just simply doesn't like your face.

merlotgran

The dress didn’t do her any favours and it’s hard to believe it cost nearly £900!

We have some talented needlewomen on Gransnet who could no doubt run up something more flattering for a fraction of the cost.
I’d love to know their opinions.

Ozempic?

I wonder what future research will discover the hidden horrors of all these weight loss drugs flooding the market?

And anyway, never mind the £900 frock or the men's suits - the police personnel on attendance in Downing Street are a bit on the scruffy side nowadays. They used to be so smart.

Sounds like a good cabinet to me. He will need all the help he can get. I don’t care what his wife wears, she is not running the country or at least not officially.

Grammaretto

Why do women bitch about other women and comment on their clothes and looks?
What has what our new PM's wife looks like got to do with running the country?
Please explain?

What has what our new PM's wife looks like got to do with running the country? exactly! Why are spouses/partners even there? When my husband got a promotion I didn't accompany him on the first or indeed any day. Stop bringing partners into the arena and criticism or not of their outfit choices will disappear. Otherwise why stop at partners, let's bring auntie Maud and cousin Jacob along too..........

Tuliptree

Back to what matters, I was wondering what’s happened to Heidi Alexander who was Transport Secretary and whom I really rate.

Heidi Alexander remains transport secretary, the role she has held since November 2024.

I don't think I'd ever seen or heard anything about AB's wife prior to this occasion. How often she is seen alongside her husband in future is up to her. I would prefer not to see all the hugging and kissing of the entourage going forward. I think all that is unnecessary.

My point about the dress was one of surprise that it was a departure from the usual red colour, and that a Victoria Beckham design had been chosen, though that again is entirely the choice of the wearer.

I'd probably have made a similar observation about Larry the cat if he'd chosen to appear, but luckily for him, he had more sense!

I am somewhat surprised by Wes Streeting's appointment as Defence Secretary. I thought that might have gone to a veteran with knowledge and experience.

I think it will the beginning of the end for Farage. Funny thing is that if they had had a GE Burnham would probably have won, albeit narrowly.

From October there will be no VAT on domestic fuel.

No surprise that Rachel Reeves refused a different Cabinet role. If she couldn't remain as Chancellor then she wouldn't want anything else. So pleased the dreadful Bridget Phillipson has had education taken away from her.

Whitewavemark2

From October there will be no VAT on domestic fuel.

Vat on electricity bills.

Healey as chancellor is the biggest surprise for me.

Burnham is saying all the right things he even had a cordial phone call with Trump, but now the buck stops with him, delivering all he is promising is going to be very difficult.

Doodledog

No, she left school early and went on to study sign language and social care qualifications.

I agree with those who are confused about the relevance. As an MP she was representing her constituents, which doesn't need a subject specialism, and not many degrees equip people for working in the Cabinet.

Churchill didn't have a degree either.

There are people with degrees who have no common sense whatsoever. Not having a degree should not mean all doors are closed to you.

MartavTaurus

I don't think I'd ever seen or heard anything about AB's wife prior to this occasion. How often she is seen alongside her husband in future is up to her. I would prefer not to see all the hugging and kissing of the entourage going forward. I think all that is unnecessary.

My point about the dress was one of surprise that it was a departure from the usual red colour, and that a Victoria Beckham design had been chosen, though that again is entirely the choice of the wearer.

I'd probably have made a similar observation about Larry the cat if he'd chosen to appear, but luckily for him, he had more sense!

According to BBC neither his wife or children will be living at Downing Street. She is a career woman, so I think she will be like Victoria Starmer, only appearing at important events. Good for her I say.

Could Streeting lead the Devolution office in Manchester? He has commented positively on Andy Burnham's approach to devolution, particularly in relation to health and public service reform. When asked about Burnham's occasional public criticism of the Labour government, Streeting responded:

"I have lots of respect for Andy... he's a friend more than he's critical."

This suggested that Streeting saw Burnham as an ally whose experience with devolution was valuable rather than adversarial.

As Health Secretary, Streeting also translated some of those ideas into policy. In March 2026, the Department of Health announced a pilot giving Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire mayors a much larger role in overseeing NHS Integrated Care Boards. The government described this as shifting decision-making "out of Whitehall into regions" and putting elected mayors at the heart of local health leadership.

On the other hand, there is little evidence that he has publicly commented in detail on Burnham's broader constitutional devolution proposals.

Hmm.