UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed Shabana Mahmood as Home Secretary on Friday in a sweeping reshuffle that has deepened turmoil inside his Labour government.
The move comes after Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner resigned in disgrace over a tax-dodging scandal involving her second home.
Starmer responded with 12 cabinet-level changes that have left his party divided.
Mahmood Replaces Cooper
Mahmood, a British politician of Pakistani descent, replaces Yvette Cooper at the Home Office.
She will now oversee immigration, borders, and policing.
Critics immediately seized on her record.
In 2020, Mahmood signed a letter opposing the deportation of foreign criminals, including violent offenders.
She has also faced scrutiny for joining anti-Israel protests that forced shops to close.
Controversy Over Appointment
Campaigner Raja Miah, who has spoken out against Pakistani grooming gangs, blasted the decision.
“The Home Secretary will shape the scope, independence, and credibility of the inquiry,” he warned.
“And yet the very communities whose daughters were betrayed are now told to place their trust in a politician from the same background as those most implicated in the abuse.”
Political commentators noted that Mahmood swore her parliamentary oath on the Koran and has described Islam as central to her life.
Critics argue her views and past positions make her unfit to lead the Home Office.
Reaction
GB News questioned whether Mahmood, despite her legal background, will be able to confront Britain’s small boat crisis, the European Court of Human Rights, and rising immigration pressures.
Conservative commentators called the appointment symbolic of Labour’s struggles.
Katie Hopkins posted on X: “So happy Shabana Mahmood is #HomeSecretary” — with clear sarcasm.
