We look at who’s moved on up and who’s struggling in a week that contained the Spring Forecast, immigration reform announcements, and an escalating war with Iran.
Read all about it in this week's Who's Top Who's Not.
Top: James Frith MP and Sharon Hodgson MP
James Frith MP has been promoted to Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office, while Sharon Hodgson MP have been promoted to Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).
The promotions were prompted by the departures of Josh Simons MP in the Cabinet Office and DSIT, amid controversy over his role in a think-tank report into journalists, and Ashley Dalton MP in DHSC due to her undergoing treatment for breast cancer.
Both are Departments where the Government wants to make tangible process and both Frith and Hodgson are seen as capable, pragmatic, and smooth-sailing, signalling that Starmer wants to prioritise policy delivery and fast implementation over grabbing headlines or favouring one faction over another.
Crucially, both are also loyal. Hodgson, an experienced Labour Party organiser, was Starmer’s Parliamentary Private Secretary and has served on multiple committees since her election in 2005, demonstrating her parliamentary experience and Starmer’s trust in her. Hodgson has also been a staunch campaigner for universal free school meals which but in a way that has not brought her to a head-to-head with the Government. All of this, and clearly her ability to get things done, illustrate that Starmer wants an effective safe pair of hands he can trust over at DHSC.
Frith returned to Parliament in 2024 after losing his seat in 2019 and has since been seen as a pragmatic and on-message MP, championing causes such as music education but again without been seen to antagonise Government.
Starmer has clearly acted quickly to appoint reliable, trusted figures in a low drama move, likely to keep Government stability amid the aftermath of the Gorton and Denton by-election and increasing geopolitical turbulence. Starmer has also avoided been drawn into making a bigger reshuffle which could have suggested panic and insecurity at a time when he wants to project steadiness and focus.
Middle: Shabana Mahmood
The Home Secretary this week announced that any asylum seeker given refugee status in the UK will only be offered temporary protection, and that asylum seekers’ cases will be reviewed every 30 months, after which they could be sent to their country of origin, provided it is deemed safe to do so.
There has been widespread opposition to Mahmood’s reforms, both from politicians on the left, many MPs within her own party, and from charities such as Refugee Council. Mahmood’s staunch commitment to her policies is indicative of her ideological home in the right of the Labour party, championing credibility on key issues for voters like justice, crime, and border control.
This also illustrates that Mahmood is looking to the long-term and the next general election. Mahmood believes such policies win trust from voters who want to know that Labour isn’t soft on crime, something the Conservatives argued during their 14-year tenure. Mahmood’s view is that this will help Labour should appeal to mainstream voters, those within left and right wings who could well be attracted to parties on the polar end of each, such as the Greens and Reform respectively.
At the heart of this is a split over strategy; Mahmood knows these issues rank highly with voters, but she’ll also face logistical issues around implementation such as processing delays and overcrowding in temporary accommodation. On the other hand, those on the left of Labour argue that Labour must be more compassionate – especially given the by-election loss to the Greens - but they may end up giving ground to Reform if they don’t tackle these issues head on.
Bottom: John Healey
On Thursday, the Defence Secretary John Healey visited Cyprus after criticism over the UK's response to drone attacks on the RAF base on the island.
The comments from the Cypriot high commissioner in the UK that the country was “disappointed” with the British approach is indicative of a feeling that Healey, and Starmer, have acted slowly and indecisively. Further instances – such as the British warship HMS Dragon not sailing to Cyprus until next week, and the decision to only send reinforcements to the region weeks after the first US request to use UK bases – have also drawn similar criticisms.
Healey has struggled to set out a coherent position on the strikes on Iran, future UK involvement, and the view of the wider Iranian regime. While he might be reflecting a nuanced Government position, the communication of that position has lacked clarity and an overarching narrative. Once again, Starmer’s Government appears confused, leaving voters feeling they lack a leader in a time of crisis.
This comes at a time when Starmer is already under fire for the indecisiveness of his domestic policies, particularly frequent U-turns and a lack of political judgement. Up until now, foreign policy and the UK’s global standing had largely been praised, particularly Starmer’s handling of Donald Trump but now it’s under fire for exactly the same reasons.
This could be particularly harmful for Starmer’s future if he is seen to sit on the fence both domestically and on foreign policy.