Resignation of Wes Streeting, secretary of state for health and social care, triggers mini reshuffle at Treasury as Lucy Rigby KC named chief secretary.

Rigby was previously number four at HMT responsible for City and financial affairs as economic secretary to the Treasury, and was one of the 2024 intake of Labour MPs, representing Northampton North. She is a former law firm partner at specialist litigation practice Hausfeld & Co LLP, and originally trained at Slaughter & May. Unlike the majority of the cabinet, Rigby is not Oxbridge, and went to Durham.

Rigby replaces James Murray, who takes over Streeting’s old job leading the health brief.

Meantime, Rachel Blake becomes economic secretary to the Treasury, her first post in government. Her seat is Cities of London and Westminster, where she was elected in July 2024 and was previously deputy mayor of Tower Hamlets and was first elected as a local councillor in 2014.

The only job left untouched is the role of HMRC minister and Exchequer secretary to the Treasury, currently held by Dan Tomlinson. He has only been in his post for nine months after an earlier reshuffle in September 2025 also resulted in changes at the Treasury when Darren Jones was appointed as chief secretary to the prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer.

Tax professionals will be familiar with Murray as his first job in government was as Exchequer secretary to the Treasury, where he was responsible for tax issues, and became the first ever government appointed non-independent chair of HMRC.

Murray is a former local councillor for various London boroughs and was a member of the London Assembly responsible for housing in the capital. He does not bring specific health experience to his new role so will be on a steep learning curve.

Pictured: Lucy Rigby launching government’s access to banking review on 14 May.

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