Labour’s tangled internet: How dozens of ministers and SpAds in Keir Starmer’s Government are associated – with ‘nepo infants’ in key posts
More than two dozen Government ministers are related to each other, married to other Labour politicians or have a family member being paid from the public purse.
An analysis has revealed Labour’s ‘new aristocracy’ after they won power at July’s general election, including a number of ‘nepo babies‘ in key posts.
The family links at the top of Sir Keir Starmer‘s Government include Chancellor Rachel Reeves, whose sister Ellie Reeves is a fellow minister and chair of the Labour Party.
The Chancellor is also married to Nicholas Joicey, a senior official at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Her brother-in-law, and Ellie’s husband, is former MP John Cryer who now sits in the House of Lords as a Labour peer.
Rachel and Ellie are not the only MP sisters within Government as Angela Eagle and Maria Eagle hold roles in the Home Office and Ministry of Defence, respectively.
Other links include Claire Reynolds, who is Sir Keir’s political director in Downing Street, being married to Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds.
Baroness Jenny Chapman, a Foreign Office minister, is married to Labour MP Nick Smith, while Baroness Judith Blake, a Government whip in the House of Lords, is the mother of Labour MP Olivia Blake.
An analysis has revealed Labour’s ‘new aristocracy’ after Sir Keir Starmer’s party won power at July’s general election , including a number of ‘ nepo babies ‘ in key posts
The family links at the top of Government include Chancellor Rachel Reeves (right), whose sister Ellie Reeves (left) is a fellow minister and chair of the Labour Party
Joe Dancey (right), the partner of Health Secretary Wes Streeting (left), is Labour’s executive director of policy and communication
Hamish Falconer (left), a Foreign Office minister, is the son of Labour peer and ex-Cabinet minister Lord Charlie Falconer (right)
Rachel and Ellie are not the only MP sisters within Government as Angela Eagle (left) and Maria Eagle (right) hold roles in the Home Office and Ministry of Defence, respectively
Hamish Falconer, another Foreign Office minister, is the son of Labour peer and ex-Cabinet minister Lord Charlie Falconer.
Georgia Gould, a junior Cabinet Office minister, is the wife of Alex Zatman, who is a special adviser to Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall.
Her late father, Philip Gould, worked for ex-PM Tony Blair, while her mother, Baroness Gail Rebuck, is a Labour peer in the House of Lords.
Declarations in the register of ministers’ interests also reveal that Joe Dancey, the partner of Health Secretary Wes Streeting, is Labour’s executive director of policy and communication.
Vicky Foxcroft, a Government whip in the House of Commons, is also in a relationship with someone who works for the Labour Party.
Treasury minister Lord Spencer Livermore is married to Seb Dance, who is London mayor Sadiq Khan’s deputy.
The analysis by The Sun revealed there are 28 ministers who are either related to each other, married to other Labour politicians or have partners also being paid from the public purse.
The newspaper reported the figure was 11 under the previous Tory government led by ex-PM Rishi Sunak.
Tory MP Alex Burghart, the shadow Cabinet Office minister, said: ‘Here’s Labour’s new aristocracy laid bare – it’s all who you know or are related to.’
A Labour insider said: ‘People tend to get into Labour politics quite young, and then spend their time hanging out with their Labour comrades so often that it makes sense to marry one.
‘For others, the parental or spouse connections can help them get a foot in the door or a leap up the ladder.’
A Downing Street spokesman said: ‘To rebuild Britain and deliver the change our country needs will require talent, expertise and creativity.
‘We won’t hesitate to make sure the right people are around the table.’
