Lisa Nandy has been confirmed as the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s first senior cabinet.

Nandy, MP for Wigan, has been appointed to head up the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) following shadow secretary Thangam Debbonaire’s defeat in Bristol West to the Green Party.

Following the announcement, the DCMS released a video on LinkedIn and X, formerly known as Twitter being welcomed to Whitehall and clapped into the DCMS offices by members of the department.

The 44-year-old took on several shadow minister roles during Labour’s 14 years in opposition and had been the shadow cabinet minister for international development before the General Election.

In a post on X, Nandy said that it is an “unbelievable privilege” to take on the new role and that the “hard work begins today”.

Nandy added: “From Rugby League to Royal Opera, our cultural and sporting heritage runs through our towns, villages and cities and is one of our country’s greatest assets”

From rugby league to Royal Opera, our cultural and sporting heritage runs through our towns, villages and cities and is one of our country’s greatest assets.

It is an unbelievable privilege to take on the role of Secretary of State @DCMS . The hard work begins today. https://t.co/YilC47p17C

— Lisa Nandy MP (@lisanandy) July 5, 2024

One of the first tasks for the DCMS’s new leader will be to take over the government’s review of the BBC licensing fee. The conservative government had previously pledged to keep the licence fee until the current charter ends in December 2027.

Also on the agenda for Nandy will be leading the DCMS’s involvement in the Gambling Review led by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).

Sanctioned in 2019, the regulatory process has been overseen by six different junior ministers.

The review is yet to be concluded as White Paper consultations continue on affordability checks, advertising, establishing a new framework for a mandatory levy on problem gambling research, and a series of modernising land-based reforms.

Labour’s landslide victory, and the defeat of the former shadow culture secretary, have sparked fears that there will be a delay in the rollout of the Gambling Act review’s reforms.

Stephanie Peacock, MP for Barnsley South, stated that Labour “carried consensus on reforms with the Conservative Party” while shadowing the Gambling Review for Labour and it will now be her job to work alongside Nandy and the DCMS to deliver the rest of the review for the industry.