Shadow_Cabinet_of_Ed_Miliband

Shadow Cabinet of Ed Miliband

Shadow Cabinet of Ed Miliband

Shadow Cabinet of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2015

For the wider team, see Opposition frontbench of Ed Miliband.

Ed Miliband became Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition upon being elected to the former post on 25 September 2010. The election was triggered by Gordon Brown's resignation following the party's fall from power at the 2010 general election, which yielded a Conservative–Liberal Democrat Coalition. Miliband appointed his first Shadow Cabinet in October 2010, following the Labour Party Shadow Cabinet elections. These elections were the last such elections before they were abolished in 2011.

Quick Facts Miliband Shadow Cabinet, Date formed ...

Miliband conducted two major reshuffles in 2011 and 2013, with a number of minor changes throughout his term.

Following the 2015 general election and Miliband's resignation, acting leader Harriet Harman announced a new shadow cabinet to last until the election of a new party leader in September 2015.

Shadow Cabinet from 2010 to 2015

More information Portfolio, Term ...

Initial Shadow Cabinet

Miliband announced his first Shadow Cabinet on 8 October 2010 following the 2010 Shadow Cabinet elections.[1] Under the party rules, as amended in 2010, the Shadow Cabinet comprised the Leader, the Deputy Leader, the Leader of the Labour Peers, the Chief Whips in both houses, and 19 MPs elected by the Parliamentary Labour Party.

Also attending Shadow Cabinet meetings:

Subsequent changes

  • 20 January 2011: Johnson resigned as Shadow Chancellor and was replaced by Ed Balls, who was replaced by Cooper as Shadow Home Secretary. She (while remaining Shadow Equalities Minister) was succeeded as Shadow Foreign Secretary by Alexander, whom Byrne replaced as Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary. Jowell took Byrne's role as Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, while retaining her role as Shadow Olympics Minister.[3]

2011 reshuffle

On 7 October 2011, Miliband conducted a major reshuffle of his Shadow Cabinet.[4] This followed the Labour Party Conference at which delegates voted to allow the party leader to choose the membership of the Shadow Cabinet, eliminating elections by MPs. Healey chose to stand down from frontline politics and was replaced as Shadow Health Secretary by Andy Burnham, whose Education portfolio went to Stephen Twigg, a newcomer to the Shadow Cabinet, and whose responsibilities as Election Co-ordinator went to Tom Watson, also new to the Shadow Cabinet and who also was given the title "Deputy Chair of the Labour Party". Denham chose to stand down from the Business portfolio, becoming Miliband's Parliamentary Private Secretary. He was replaced by new Shadow Minister of State for Small Business, Chuka Umunna.

Harman and Lewis swapped substantive portfolios (International Development to Lewis and Culture to Harman). Trickett took primary responsibility for shadowing the Cabinet Office from Jowell. The latter retained her position in the Shadow Cabinet as well as her roles as Shadow Minister for London and for the Olympics. Woodward (Northern Ireland) and McKechin (Scotland) were both left out of the Shadow Cabinet, being replaced by newcomers: Vernon Coaker and Margaret Curran, respectively.

Hillier left the Shadow Cabinet, and was replaced at the Energy portfolio by Flint. She was in turn replaced at Communities and Local Government by Benn, whose role as Shadow Leader of the House went to Angela Eagle. She was replaced as Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury by Rachel Reeves, who was new to the Shadow Cabinet. Hain retained his responsibilities and was named Chair of the National Policy Forum. Byrne likewise retained his portfolio and added "Policy Review Co-ordinator", reflecting work he had already taken on.

Additionally, Emily Thornberry replaced Patricia Scotland as Shadow Attorney General, with the right to attend Shadow Cabinet, but not full membership. Three others obtained the right to attend Shadow Cabinet: Stewart Lord Wood of Anfield retained his role as a Shadow Minister without Portfolio on the Shadow Cabinet Office team (i.e., the Opposition equivalent of the Cabinet Office). Michael Dugher also became a Shadow Minister without Portfolio with the right to attend Shadow Cabinet meetings. Liz Kendall was appointed Shadow Minister for Care and Older People with the right to attend Shadow Cabinet.

Finally, the Shadow Cabinet list announced on the day of the reshuffle did not note Khan, the Shadow Justice Secretary, as having "responsibility for political and constitutional reform"[5] as it previously had.[6] It is not clear whether he retained this responsibility or it transferred to Harman, whose title has been listed as "Shadow Deputy Prime Minister" instead of "Deputy Leader of the Opposition";[6][7] Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, was the Government minister with responsibility for political and constitutional reform.

Also attending Shadow Cabinet meetings:

Subsequent changes

  • On 15 May 2012, following the resignation of Peter Hain as Shadow Welsh Secretary, Miliband conducted a mini-reshuffle: Owen Smith was appointed to replace Hain, while Jon Cruddas replaced Liam Byrne as Policy Review Co-ordinator.[8]
  • On 11 September 2012, Dame Tessa Jowell left the shadow cabinet, after saying she planned to retire from frontline politics.[9]

2013 reshuffle

On 7 October 2013, Ed Miliband carried out a reshuffle of his front bench team. The moves included demotions of prominent Blairites including Jim Murphy, who went from Defence to International Development, and Ivan Lewis who moved from International Development to the shadow Northern Ireland portfolio. Also, Liam Byrne and Stephen Twigg moved respectively from Work and Pensions and from Education to junior shadow ministerial positions at Business and Education. Prominent promotions included Tristram Hunt to Education, Rachel Reeves to Work and Pensions, Vernon Coaker to Defence, and Chris Leslie to Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Douglas Alexander was appointed Chair of General Election Strategy and Planning.

Also attending Shadow Cabinet meetings:

Subsequent changes

  • On 2 November 2014, Jim Murphy resigned as Shadow International Development Secretary to campaign for the leadership of the Scottish Labour Party.[10] Subsequently, on 5 November, a number of changes to the composition of the shadow cabinet were announced: Shadow Transport Secretary Mary Creagh replaced Murphy at International Development, who was replaced by Michael Dugher, hitherto the Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office; he was in turn replaced by Lucy Powell.[11]
  • On 20 November 2014, Emily Thornberry resigned as Shadow Attorney General following a backlash resulting from her sending of a controversial tweet.[12] Willy Lord Bach was named as her replacement on 3 December.[13]

See also

References

  1. [1]
    Rosa Prince (8 October 2010). "Ed Miliband unveils shocks in shadow cabinet selections". The Telegraph. London.
  2. [2]
    http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/harriet-harman/25677 [bare URL]
  3. [3]
    Andrew Whitaker (21 January 2011). "All change in top jobs as resignation forces leader into sweeping reshuffle". The Scotsman. Edinburgh.
  4. [4]
    "Labour's Shadow Cabinet". Labour.org.uk. 7 October 2011. Archived from the original on 9 October 2011.
  5. [5]
    "Her Majesty's Official Opposition". House of Commons Information Office. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  6. [6]
    "Her Majesty's Most Loyal Official Opposition". House of Commons Information Office. 18 July 2011. Archived from the original on 12 October 2011.
  7. [7]
    "The Rt Hon Harriet Harman". House of Commons Information Office. Archived from the original on 11 October 2011.
  8. [8]
    "Cruddas gets policy brief in shadow cabinet reshuffle". BBC News. 15 May 2012.
  9. [9]
    Lister, Sam (11 September 2012). "Tessa Jowell quits Shadow Cabinet". The Independent. London.
  10. [10]
    "Jim Murphy quits shadow cabinet". BBC News. 2 November 2014.
  11. [11]
    "Labour reshuffle: Dugher and Powell promoted by Ed Miliband". BBC News. 5 November 2014.
  12. [12]
    "Labour's Emily Thornberry quits over 'snobby' tweet". BBC News. 21 November 2014.
  13. [13]
    "Labour reshuffle: Peer takes shadow attorney role". BBC News. 3 December 2014.
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