Ministers considering human rights reform in bid to head off Reform as defence secretary say Starmer going ‘up a gear’ – UK politics live

New home secretary Shabana Mahmood expected to to say asylum seekers will be moved from hotels to barracks

Defence secretary John Healey has been interviewed by Trevor Phillips on his Sky News programme this morning. He asks the defence secretary why Keir Starmer has replaced Yvette Cooper, the experienced former home secretary, with Shabana Mahmood as part of his reshuffle and not let her “get on with the job”.

Healey defends the reshuffle, suggesting it shows the government is “going up a gear” and starting on the “next phase of delivery”. He says Mahmood got to “grips” with prison and criminal justice reform and will be able to do the same in the Home Office over small boats.