New British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has reappointed the UK cybersecurity minister to her government post while simultaneously abolishing the department she worked under, signaling policy continuity amid a sweeping ministerial reorganization. Liz Lloyd was appointed to a junior position at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport late on July 24, 2026, while retaining a second role at the renamed Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade.
Though her formal portfolio has not been officially announced, sources within Whitehall confirm Lloyd will continue handling the cyber brief she has managed since September 2025. The reappointment stands out as an exception to Burnham’s broader pattern of removing allies of his predecessor, Keir Starmer, from government positions.
Why Was Lloyd Reappointed Despite Political Changes?
Lloyd represents an unusual counterpoint in Burnham’s first appointments, which largely stripped Starmer allies from office while rewarding figures who contributed to his downfall. Lloyd had been close to Starmer and previously served as his director of policy delivery. She holds no elected seat, instead sitting in the House of Lords as Baroness Lloyd of Effra.
The decision to keep Lloyd appears driven by legislative timing. She is currently steering the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill through the House of Lords, Parliament’s appointed upper chamber, where it cleared second reading earlier in July with cross-party support. Line-by-line scrutiny of the bill begins in September. Replacing the minister six weeks before this critical stage would have required fresh briefing and potentially delayed legislation the government wants passed this year.
What Does the Cyber Security Bill Include?
The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill rewrites regulations dating from 2018 and extends Britain’s cyber regulations to more organizations. It grants ministers power to amend rules and issue directions to companies on national security grounds. The legislation specifically brings data centers and managed service providers into scope and establishes incident reporting deadlines for operators of essential services including energy, water and healthcare.
Lloyd was also the minister in charge when the government moved to weaken proposed cybersecurity protections for telecoms networks—developed in response to the Salt Typhoon espionage campaign—after companies lobbied against the measures citing cost and practicality concerns.
How Has the Government Been Restructured?
Burnham was invited by King Charles III to form a government on July 22, 2026, following Starmer’s resignation after a Labour Party leadership election. Among his first acts was breaking up the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, which had overseen cyber policy since 2023. Its functions were divided three ways: cyber policy and government digital services went to DCMS, science moved to DBIST, and artificial intelligence policy and the AI Security Institute transferred to the Cabinet Office—separating AI security work from the cyber brief for the first time.
Industry figures have warned the split discards the integration of data, digital capability and AI that was the department’s principal strength. Lloyd has promised a National Cyber Action Plan this summer, the government’s strategy for defending the wider economy against state-backed and criminal hacking. Publication had been expected earlier in July before being delayed due to Starmer’s resignation.
Source: The Record