UK appoints new maritime minister after election landslide

The new UK government has appointed Mike Kane to serve as parliamentary under-secretary of state for aviation, maritime and security in the Department for Transport on July 9, following the recent general election, which saw Sir Keir Starmer take over from Rishi Sunak as the country’s Prime Minister.

Mike Kane was elected as the MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East in July 2024.

Kane’s predecessor, Lord Davies of Gower had covered all the maritime issues since November 14, 2023, as the parliamentary under secretary of state at the department for transport.

Since 5 July, the UK has been officially governed by a strong Labour majority, and the current prime minister has just begun announcing his new ministers.

To remind, the opposition Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, defeated the governing Conservative Party, led by Rishi Sunak, in the UK’s general election in a landslide on July 4.

Rishi Sunak, the outgoing prime minister, accepted responsibility for the result and apologised to defeated colleagues during a brief statement.

The UK Chamber of Shipping chief executive officer, Rhett Hatcher, reacted to the news by saying: “I congratulate Mike Kane on his appointment as maritime minister.

“Having shadowed the maritime brief for most of the last Parliament he brings a wealth of knowledge to the role and is ably placed to hit the ground running. I look forward to working together to help ensure shipping continues to be at the heart of UK prosperity.

“There is much to be done across government for the shipping sector. Early focus should be on a long term decarbonisation plan, ensuring our approach to maritime borders helps, rather than hinders, trade and working with the sector to deliver the workforce we need now and in the future.”

Earlier the chief executive of Maritime UK, Chris Shirling-Rooke, had issued his congratulations to incoming Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, also urging him to prioritise the interests and economic prosperity of coastal communities in the government’s upcoming plans and agenda.

The UK maritime industries, including ports, professional services, leisure marine, shipping and engineering, support over 1.1 million jobs across the country, Shirling-Roke pointed out, and as a sector are worth more than rail and aviation combined.

“There is no time to waste,” he said, adding: “It is time to get serious about maritime.”