PRIME MINISTER Andy Burnham completed a savage cull of Starmer-era figures from his Cabinet on Monday night, eager to give his government a fresh look.

He also named a majority-women Cabinet for the first time in British history. Of the 23 full members of the Cabinet, including the Prime Minister, 12 are women and 11 are men.

Big-hitters from Sir Keir Starmer’s team sacked included Chancellor Rachel Reeves and deputy premier David Lammy.

The big surprise was the appointment of John Healey, who quit as defence secretary just a month ago demanding more military spending, as the new chancellor.

Together with new Defence Secretary, arch-Blairite Wes Streeting, they will be well-placed to press for a still faster arms build-up.

Ed Miliband, once favourite to be the new chancellor, has been named foreign secretary. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood remains in post as she wished, completing the core of the government, together with new First Secretary of State Louise Haigh, Mr Burnham’s key fixer.

Others sacked by Burnham include Housing Secretary Steve Reed, an inveterate Labour Together factionalist, Blairites Peter Kyle and Liz Kendall, Business and Science secretaries respectively, Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn and Sir Keir’s Downing Street chief Darren Jones.

Recently appointed James Murray and Dan Jarvis at Health and Defence respectively, both also lost their posts.

Former deputy premier Angie Rayner returns as housing secretary, while Jonathan Reynolds moves from chief whip back to his former job of business secretary.

Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell additionally becomes education secretary, succeeding Bridget Phillipson, who is now equalities minister.

Rising Burnhamite star Miatta Fahnbulleh takes over as energy secretary from Mr Miliband, while Yvette Cooper is demoted from the Foreign Office to the job of health secretary.

Former Unison organiser Alex Norris succeeds Mr Lammy as justice secretary. Blairite Pat McFadden remains welfare and pensions secretary, and Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander and Commons leader Alan Campbell both also stay in post.

Stephen Kinnock, son of former Labour leader Neil, takes over in Wales and Chris Bryant in Northern Ireland.

Most of the Cabinet represent seats in the north of England with five from Mr Burnham’s former bailiwick in Greater Manchester alone.

A striking new appointment is of first-time MP and former Unite political director Anneliese Midgley as new chief whip, succeeding Mr Reynolds.

A key confidante of the new premier, Ms Midgley is probably the only person who can claim to have worked as an aide to Ken Livingstone, Jeremy Corbyn and former Unite general secretary Len McCluskey.