cabinet

The UK military is focused on defending the nation rather than stopping asylum seekers from crossing the Channel, a cabinet minister has said.

Labour deputy leadership contender Lucy Powell, who was fired by Sir Keir Starmer in his cabinet reshuffle, has criticised "unforced errors" by the government over welfare.

But when I bump into another former Conservative cabinet minister they are more pensive at what they fear the defection says about the Tories.

Not only does the 73-year-old former chief justice need to appoint a new cabinet, she must rebuild confidence in the country's leadership.

She is an experienced cabinet minister, having held a range of portfolios including justice, rural development and the arts before she stood down from the Dáil in 2024 after 13 years.