Andy Burnham’s rise to No. 10 was remarkably swift, coming at a time when the British public had grown weary of yet another change in Prime Minister.

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Yet his Cabinet appointments have already prompted predictable debate about Labour’s ideological direction.

Two appointments in particular have ignited scrutiny: Ed Miliband as Foreign Secretary and Wes Streeting as Secretary of State for Defence. There are obvious questions over whether they have the conventional background for either position. But history shows that great offices of state are not always held by those with the most obvious background for the role.

The question is therefore not whether these appointments satisfy Westminster. It is whether this Cabinet understands the nature of the threat facing Britain and Europe - and whether it is prepared to respond with more than rhetoric.

Like many Britons, I am immensely proud of our country’s long history of confronting authoritarianism. But history offers no immunity from today’s threats and any complacency towards Russia in particular would be a profound strategic mistake. It is against this standard that these appointments should be judged.

The current Cabinet is undoubtedly a vocal ally of Ukraine, and every Prime Minister has rightly condemned Russian aggression. Burnham has also said he wants to be every bit as committed to President Zelenskyy as Keir Starmer was. That commitment is welcome, but political solidarity alone is not enough.

Wes Streeting inherits Defence at a moment when Britain’s armed forces must become larger, faster and technologically more agile. His first........

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