Up next in 10
WATCH: Darren Jones grilled by Christopher Hope on Cabinet reshuffle
Sep 6, 2025
Labour minister Darren Jones has been told to "be honest with us" in a fiery grilling by GB News Political Editor Christopher Hope.Speaking to the People's Channel, the newly appointed Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster assured that the reshuffle was a part of "Labour's phase two", not because of Angela Rayner.FULL STORY HERE.
View Video Transcript
0:00
That's right, Anne and Steve, welcome back here. With me now is Darren Jones, the government's
0:05
chief enforcer. Darren Jones, welcome to breakfast. What is this reshuffle for
0:11
Well, as the Prime Minister said on Monday, this is the second chapter of the Labour government
0:15
The first chapter, the first year being a new government coming in, getting a grip with
0:19
the crises, putting out the fires that we'd inherited from the Conservatives. And now
0:23
we're on to chapter two, where we get to really start to drive delivery of the promises of
0:26
change that we made to the public at the last election. Come off it. It's a panicked reshuffle in response to Angela Rayner's resignation, right
0:32
Be honest with us. I'm being honest with you. It's not, because the Prime Minister was already planning a reshuffle
0:37
I'll be honest, he wanted to do it on a slightly slower time frame. But we announced the number 10 appointments on Monday
0:43
My new job as Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister. When it became clear that Angela was going to leave government
0:48
the Prime Minister took decisive action and decided to bring that reshuffle forward and just get the job done on Friday
0:53
So two people, three people have left the Cabinet table. The rest have been moved around, shuffled about
0:57
Is it really about tackling Nigel Farage and Reform UK's poll lead
1:01
No, this is about making sure that we've got brilliant colleagues and brilliant jobs, making sure that the government machine
1:07
is really driving delivery of the public's priorities. So they're all in the wrong jobs before, were they
1:12
No, that's not what I said. It is what you said. Reshuffles are reshuffles. You move people around
1:16
you make sure as your agenda's developing, you bring people into different jobs, and that's normal in government
1:21
And we've got a brilliant team now that's going to be getting on with delivering on the public's priorities
1:25
Your role in the Cabinet Office as Chancellor for the Duchess of Lancaster now and of course
1:29
this new role of Chief Secretary, you have to deliver the PM's agenda. What is that agenda
1:34
Can you describe it? Because it's not clear to many people what is Starmerism, if it's
1:38
anything at all. Well look the Prime Minister priorities are the public priorities So it about tackling the cost of living crisis and making people get better wages at work It about getting public services back on their feet with a predominant focus on the NHS And it about making sure that people feel safe and confident about their local communities
1:55
And that includes things like the borders and the small boats crisis. So those are the obvious priorities the public have. They are the government's priorities
2:02
And my job as chief secretary to the prime minister in Downing Street, as well as my job in the cabinet office
2:06
is about helping him to make sure that we're firing on all cylinders across government
2:09
to make sure we can deliver those things for the public. You mentioned the small boats crisis. How can Shibana Amu do better than Yvette Cooper, who failed, frankly, to stop those boats
2:18
Well, Yvette Cooper did lots of brilliant things in the Home Office, including getting this returns deal with the French so that we can return people on small boats back to France
2:25
No one thought that was possible. She did a great job. It hasn't worked yet, though, has it? Well, it's just started and is in pilot
2:31
But the idea is we're going to be ramping that up. she was able to start to get the process of applications up and running again
2:37
Remember, the reason we have so many asylum seekers in hotels is because the Conservatives just stopped looking at applications
2:42
whilst letting more and more people come into the system. That was not going to be an easy thing to fix
2:47
but she made great progress on that, with tens of thousands of people returned, removed from the UK with no right to be here
2:53
The Vest's now going to be a brilliant foreign secretary, and Shabana, who was Justice Secretary, got a grip of the prisons crisis that were full when we came into government
3:00
is going to bring that reforming zeal to the Home Office and will be tackling the small boats crisis
3:05
You said in a BBC programme that most of the people arriving here were women and children in their small boats
3:10
Do you regret that now? So I made reference to two particular boats that I was told about on a particular visit
3:15
to the Border Security Command. As I said at the time, this was a question time
3:18
where I was being shouted at and asked by the audience and asked by the presenter. I could have said what I just said to you a bit more clearly
3:24
and I get that but these were examples where these criminal gangs put women and children and babies in those boats presumably for a reason And all I was making the case for in those circumstances was that when those children came across injured because of the mixing of oil and seawater
3:40
it's of course the right thing to take a humanitarian approach to helping to treat them. But you accept it's mainly young men, but overwhelmingly young men on those boats who are not security vetted
3:50
They are risked this country and in need tackling. So they are predominantly young men and the data is very clear about that
3:55
The Border Security Command is important for that process because every single person that comes through gets checked by the police and by national security officials
4:03
But the fact is we need to stop them coming over in the first place. So we're dealing with the issue to make sure that we've got a controlled border and that we're protecting the UK and British citizens
4:12
But we have to stop people coming over in the first place. And that's what the Home Secretary is going to be dealing with
4:16
I was struck by the point of Pat McFadden, the old whitehall war horse, if I can call him that, running the Department of Working Pensions
4:22
That shows to me an attempt that you want to get back into cutting the benefits bill
4:27
It's too big. Get more people into work. The welfare system reforms were already continuing
4:32
Stephen Timms, one of our ministerial colleagues, is doing the review with people who use the system
4:37
But you walked them back from five billion to zero, didn't you? We basically delayed the reforms. We didn't end them. We've delayed
4:43
That's why we worry about it at GB News. Why can't you cut this money being spent on people not working
4:48
Yeah, I understand. This is about how we get the projected increase in future spending
4:53
because it's the rate of extra people coming into the system, predominantly young people, one in eight people coming out of school, coming into the system. That can't be right
5:00
So Pat is running the work and pensions department with skills and training included. It's really an economic growth department that helps people who can get back to work
5:07
whilst giving people who need support the right support. How can we judge in our views and listeners judge the success of this reshuffle What is the change that this government is going to deliver between now and the next election as I say on issues around the cost of living on wages and the economy
5:23
on your ability to get seen in the NHS system and your experience of public services
5:27
and by the fact that you feel proud and secure in your local community. And we're hearing more from the PM. Will we be at this
5:33
I'm sure you will be soon, yes. I actually don't know, but he'll be out soon, I suspect
5:37
And just finally, were you happy with your change? I mean, you're now running the Cabinet Office
5:41
You've got this role in forcing for the PM. How are you going to change in your job? You'll be moving around Whitehall, I suppose, with a list of tick boxes
5:48
to ensure that the issues that the PM cares about are delivered on
5:52
So my primary job, as I say, as Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, I'm based in 10 Downing Street
5:56
I'm working alongside him to make sure that we're delivering on the public's priorities and his priorities
6:01
My kind of upgrade to now run the Cabinet Office also gives me lots of power and levers
6:07
to help drive the government machine, which is often trying to get different departments to work together, force decision-making and really drive delivery
6:15
And that's going to be my job now in the months ahead. And just finally looking forward to today, it's the junior, well, the second, third and fourth rank reshuffle today
6:23
There'll be more blood on the carpet, will there? Well, the Prime Minister is now considering appointments to the junior ministerial ranks and will, you know, let us know in due course what he's decided
6:33
But much like with the reshuffle, this is a case of making sure that we give people the chance to serve in government
6:38
who have exhibited great skills and great energy for delivery, who will be great at helping us get out across the country
6:44
and talk to people and show the difference we're making in their lives. And will the changes be as dramatic as yesterday
6:49
We'll wait and see. OK. Darren Jones, thank you for joining us today on Juvenile's Breakfast
6:53
Darren Jones, of course, the Circus Armour's chief enforcer with his flip chart to go around Whitehall
6:58
ensuring that the PM's ideas are delivered on in Whitehall
#news
#Politics
#Public Policy