What the lawyer picks in Andy Burnham's Cabinet tell us about the way he will govern

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Andy Burnham’s newly announced Cabinet features three lawyers, a former trainee solicitor who didn’t finish his training contract and a non-lawyer who’s been given the role of Lord Chancellor (aka Secretary of State for Justice).

What do their backgrounds tell us about the way the new Prime Minister will govern?

Legal Cheek editor Tom Connelly and publisher Alex Aldridge draw upon their experiences covering the legal market in depth over the last decade and beyond to answer this question.

They consider how Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and new Attorney General Ellie Reeves both started out at the same chambers as rookie barristers. And they delve into the controversy around new Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, who previously claimed to be a solicitor despite never actually qualifying.

The pair also explore why the Lord Chancellor job – traditionally the preserve of legal professionals – has gone to a non-lawyer.