Shabana Mahmood has been appointed the new Home Secretary of the United Kingdom, succeeding Yvette Cooper in Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s latest reshuffle, which follows Angela Rayner’s resignation. She now steps into one of the most demanding jobs in government at a time when record Channel crossings, asylum hotel use, and wider migration pressures dominate the political debate.
Until now, Mahmood served as Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, where she confronted the prison overcrowding crisis. Just this week, she introduced major legislation in Parliament aimed at reforming the prison system, underscoring her reputation as a hands-on reformer.
Who is Shabana Mahmood?
Shabana Mahmood was born in Birmingham in 1980 to Pakistani parents. She spent part of her early years in Saudi Arabia before moving back to the UK. She went on to study law at Lincoln College, Oxford, and later qualified as a barrister, specialising in professional indemnity cases.
Mahmood has held several key posts across Labour’s frontbench, including Shadow Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Shadow Minister for Prisons. She briefly stepped away from frontline politics in 2015 during Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership but returned under Keir Starmer.
By 2023, she was serving as Shadow Justice Secretary and, following Labour’s 2024 general election victory, became Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor. In that role, she pushed through early prisoner release schemes to relieve pressure on jails.
Her new role
Now, as Home Secretary, Mahmood inherits responsibility for tackling asylum backlogs, deportations, police reform and inquiries into grooming gangs. Her promotion highlights how seriously Starmer views immigration and security issues, which are expected to define much of his government’s agenda.
Mahmood is often linked to Labour’s “blue Labour” wing, favouring tougher stances on law and order while maintaining ties with the party’s progressive base.