07.10.11
Labour shadow cabinet reshuffle
Ed Miliband is reshuffling the Labour shadow cabinet for the first time since he was elected. Since a change of policy last week at the party conference, Miliband can now choose members of the shadow cabinet himself, rather than through elections every two years.
Shadow business secretary John Denham and shadow health secretary John Healey announced their resignations last night. Denham has agreed to serve as an unpaid parliamentary private secretary to Miliband until the next election.
Miliband is likely to choose new MPs from the 2010 intake, in order to improve the performance of the shadow cabinet.
Sources suggest Angela Eagle, currently shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, will replace Hilary Benn as shadow leader of the House. Eagle could be replaced in her current role by Rachel Reeves, MP for Leeds West and currently shadow minister for pensions. Gloria De Piero has been tipped to replace Lewis in the culture brief but this has not been confirmed.
Backbencher Tristram Hunt may also be up for promotion, as well as former Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer and former home secretary Alan Johnson.
An unconfirmed leak to the Guido Fawkes political blog suggested that the final shape of the shadow cabinet will be as follows:
Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party
Ed Miliband MP
Shadow Deputy PM, Party Chair and Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Harriet Harman MP
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
Ed Balls MP
Shadow Foreign Secretary
Douglas Alexander MP
Shadow Home Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities
Yvette Cooper MP
Shadow Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
Sadiq Khan MP
Shadow Chief Whip
Rosie Winterton MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Health
Andy Burnham MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Education
Stephen Twigg MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
Chuka Umunna MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
Jim Murphy MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Hilary Benn MP
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Angela Eagle MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
Caroline Flint MP
Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Rachel Reeves MP
Shadow Minister for London and the Olympics
Tessa Jowell MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
Maria Eagle MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Liam Byrne MP
Shadow Secretary of State for International Development
Ivan Lewis MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Mary Creagh MP
Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office
Jon Trickett MP
Labour Party Deputy Chair and Campaign Coordinator
Tom Watson MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Vernon Coaker MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
Margaret Curran MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Wales and Chair of the National Policy Forum
Peter Hain MP
Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon
Lords Chief Whip
Lord Bassam of Brighton
Also attending Shadow Cabinet:
Shadow Minister for Care and Older People
Liz Kendall MP
Shadow Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Michael Dugher MP
Shadow Attorney General
Emily Thornberry MP
Shadow Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Lord Stewart Wood
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