Jo Stevens said on Monday that she is no longer Secretary of State for Wales as Andy Burnham began appointing his own ministerial team after succeeding Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister. Stevens had held the job for two years, making her departure one of the first changes in the new government.
In a statement posted to X, she said: "Serving as the Labour Party’s first Secretary of State for Wales for the last two years has been a privilege and an honour." She added that Wales had seen "the biggest budget settlement for our public services in the history of devolution" and "a generational commitment of £14 billion for our Welsh railways."
Jo Stevens on X
Stevens also said the steel industry had been "saved and transformed for the future" and that there had been "the largest public investment in Wales in history through new nuclear at Wylfa." She said she wished Burnham and her successor "the very best in their new roles" and said she knew Burnham and Ken Skates would do "a great job" alongside the new Welsh Labour leader in delivering for the people of Wales.
Burnham's Cabinet reshuffle
Burnham's reshuffle began on Monday and is expected to continue as he completes the first major reshuffle of his premiership. Alongside Stevens, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Steve Reed, Peter Kyle, Liz Kendall and Lord Hermer also said they were leaving government. Lord James Timpson and Lord Patrick Vallance announced earlier in the day that they had stepped down.
Stevens was appointed by Sir Keir Starmer after Labour’s 2024 general election victory, following her reappointment as Shadow Welsh Secretary in 2021. She has represented Cardiff East since 2024 after previously serving as MP for Cardiff Central, and her exit leaves Burnham to name the next Secretary of State for Wales as he fills out the rest of his team.
