Shadow Cabinet of Ed Miliband

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Miliband Shadow Cabinet

Shadow Cabinet of the United Kingdom
20102015
Date formed25 September 2010
Date dissolved8 May 2015
People and organisations
MonarchElizabeth II
Leader of the OppositionEd Miliband
Shadow Deputy Prime MinisterHarriet Harman
Member party
  •   Labour Party
Status in legislatureOfficial Opposition
258 / 650 (40%)
History
Election(s)2010 Labour leadership election
Outgoing election2015 general election
Legislature term(s)55th UK Parliament
PredecessorFirst Shadow Cabinet of Harriet Harman
SuccessorSecond Shadow Cabinet of Harriet Harman

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.

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[edit]

Portfolio Shadow Minister Term
Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Labour Party
Ed Miliband 2010–2015
Deputy Leader of the Opposition
Shadow Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Leader of the Labour Party
Harriet Harman 2010–2015
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Alan Johnson 2010–2011
Ed Balls 2011–2015
Shadow Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper 2010–2011
Douglas Alexander 2011–2015
Shadow Home Secretary Ed Balls 2010–2011
Yvette Cooper 2011–2015
Shadow Secretary of State for Justice
Shadow Lord Chancellor
Sadiq Khan 2010–2015
Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Commons Rosie Winterton 2010–2015
Shadow Secretary of State for Health John Healey 2010–2011
Andy Burnham 2011–2015
Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills John Denham 2010–2011
Chuka Umunna 2011–2015
Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Douglas Alexander 2010–2011
Liam Byrne 2011–2013
Rachel Reeves 2013–2015
Shadow Secretary of State for Education Andy Burnham 2010–2011
Stephen Twigg 2011–2013
Tristram Hunt 2013–2015
Shadow Secretary of State for Defence Jim Murphy 2010–2013
Vernon Coaker 2013–2015
Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Caroline Flint 2010–2011
Hilary Benn 2011–2015
Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Meg Hillier 2010–2011
Caroline Flint 2011–2015
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Hilary Benn 2010–2011
Angela Eagle 2011–2015
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport Maria Eagle 2010–2013
Mary Creagh 2013–2014
Michael Dugher 2014–2015
Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Shaun Woodward 2010–2011
Vernon Coaker 2011–2013
Ivan Lewis 2013–2015
Shadow Secretary of State for International Development Harriet Harman 2010–2011
Ivan Lewis 2011–2013
Jim Murphy 2013–2014
Mary Creagh 2014–2015
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland Ann McKechin 2010–2011
Margaret Curran 2011–2015
Shadow Secretary of State for Wales Peter Hain 2010–2012
Owen Smith 2012–2015
Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Mary Creagh 2010–2013
Maria Eagle 2013–2015
Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office Liam Byrne 2010–2011
Tessa Jowell 2011–2011
Jon Trickett 2011–2013
Michael Dugher 2013–2014
Lucy Powell 2014–2015
Deputy Party Chair Tom Watson 2011–2013
Jon Trickett 2013–2015
Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities Yvette Cooper 2010–2013
Gloria De Piero 2013–2015
Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Angela Eagle 2010–2011
Rachel Reeves 2011–2013
Chris Leslie 2013–2015
Shadow Leader of the House of Lords Janet Baroness Royall of Blaisdon 2010–2015
Shadow Chief Whip in the House of Lords Steve Lord Bassam of Brighton 2010–2015
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Ivan Lewis 2010–2011
Harriet Harman 2011–2015
Also attending Shadow Cabinet meetings
Shadow Minister without Portfolio Michael Dugher 2011–2013
Stewart Wood 2011–2015
Jon Trickett 2013–2015
Shadow Attorney General Patricia Scotland 2010–2011
Emily Thornberry 2011–2014
Willy Lord Bach 2014–2015
Policy Review Coordinator Liam Byrne 2011–2012
Jon Cruddas 2012–2015
Shadow Minister of State for the Cabinet Office Jon Trickett 2010–2011
Shadow Minister for Care and Older People Liz Kendall 2011–2015
Shadow Minister for Housing Emma Reynolds 2013–2015
Leader of the EPLP Glenis Willmott 2012–2015

Initial Shadow Cabinet[edit]

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[edit]

  • 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[edit]

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[edit]

  • 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[edit]

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[edit]

  • 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[edit]

References[edit]

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

External links[edit]