Shadow Cabinet of Jeremy Corbyn
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Jeremy Corbyn assumed the position of Leader of the Opposition after being elected as Leader of the Labour Party on 12 September 2015; the election was triggered by Ed Miliband's resignation following the Labour Party's electoral defeat at the 2015 general election when David Cameron formed a majority Conservative government.
Corbyn appointed his first Shadow Cabinet in September 2015. A small reshuffle occurred on 5 January 2016, with one further resignation on 11 January 2016.
Contents
Shadow Cabinet members since September 2015
Creation
Corbyn named his first Shadow Cabinet appointments on 13 September and announced its full composition on 14 September. One of Labour's largest reshuffles, the announcement was further delayed by a large number of previous Shadow Cabinet members publicly announcing they would not participate under Corbyn, even if called to do so. The following members declined to serve:
- Chris Leslie was replaced as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer by John McDonnell[1]
- Yvette Cooper was replaced as Shadow Home Secretary by Andy Burnham[1]
- Chuka Umunna was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills by Angela Eagle; who was further appointed Shadow First Secretary of State, deputising at Prime Minister's Questions, a role that was filled by Hilary Benn in the previous Shadow Cabinet[1]
- Rachel Reeves was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by Owen Smith,[1] though she was on maternity leave at the time of her announcement and the brief had been filled by Stephen Timms since shortly after the general election, who himself rejected a junior role[2]
- Tristram Hunt was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Education by Lucy Powell[1]
- Emma Reynolds was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government by Jon Trickett, who was also appointed to a new role as Shadow Minister for the Constitutional Convention[1]
- Caroline Flint was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change by Lisa Nandy[1]
- Mary Creagh was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for International Development by Diane Abbott[3]
- Shabana Mahmood was replaced as Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury by Seema Malhotra[1]
- Liz Kendall resigned as Shadow Minister for Care and Older People (attending Shadow Cabinet); a junior minister is yet to be announced[1]
The remaining changes are as follows:
- Harriet Harman, who had previously announced she would step down from frontbench politics after nearly 30 years, was replaced as Deputy Leader by Tom Watson, who also replaced Powell as Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office
- Burnham was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Health by Heidi Alexander
- Vernon Coaker was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Defence by Maria Eagle
- Angela Eagle was replaced as Shadow Leader of the House of Commons by Chris Bryant
- Michael Dugher was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Transport by Lilian Greenwood
- Ivan Lewis, who stated he was willing to serve, was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland by Coaker[4]
- Owen Smith was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Wales by Nia Griffith
- Maria Eagle was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by Kerry McCarthy
- Bryant was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport by Dugher
- Trickett was replaced as Shadow Minister without Portfolio by Jon Ashworth, not as a full member, like Trickett, but still attending Shadow Cabinet
- Gloria De Piero was replaced as Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities by Kate Green, but was appointed to a new role as Shadow Minister for Young People and Voter Registration with full Shadow Cabinet membership
- Luciana Berger was appointed to a new role as Shadow Minister for Mental Health with full Shadow Cabinet membership
- The Lord Bach was replaced as Shadow Attorney General (attending Shadow Cabinet) by Catherine McKinnell
- Roberta Blackman-Woods was replaced as Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning by John Healey, though Healey would be attending Shadow Cabinet, unlike Blackman-Woods
Composition
- Out of the 31 members of Corbyn's Shadow Cabinet, 17 are women, making his the first frontbench team in British parliamentary history to comprise a female majority. Corbyn was criticised for giving what are traditionally seen as the top jobs (Chancellor, Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary) to men, although he insisted that positions such as Education and Health Secretary were just as important.[5]
- All members of Corbyn's Shadow Cabinet previously voted in favour of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013.[6]
January 2016 Reshuffle
On 6 January 2016, Corbyn replaced Shadow Culture Secretary Michael Dugher with Shadow Defence Secretary Maria Eagle (who was in turn replaced by Shadow Employment Minister Emily Thornberry).[7] He also replaced Shadow Europe Minister (not attending Shadow Cabinet) Pat McFadden with Pat Glass.[7] The reshuffle prompted three junior shadow ministers to resign in solidarity with McFadden: Shadow Rail Minister Jonathan Reynolds, Shadow Defence Minister Kevan Jones and Shadow Foreign Minister Stephen Doughty.[7][8][9] On 7 January, Reynolds was replaced by Andy McDonald, Doughty by Fabian Hamilton, Jones by Kate Hollern and Thornberry by Angela Rayner; as well as appointing Jenny Chapman to the education team and Jo Stevens to the justice team.[10]
On 11 January 2016, Shadow Attorney General Catherine McKinnell resigned, citing party infighting, family reasons and the ability to speak in Parliament beyond her legal portfolio. She was replaced by Karl Turner.[11]
Economic Advisory Committee
On 27 September 2015, the formation of an Economic Advisory Committee was announced, with John McDonnell saying: "I am delighted to convene this Economic Advisory Committee that will assist in developing a radical but pragmatic and deliverable economic policy for our country."[12]
- David Blanchflower, Professor, Dartmouth College and former member of the Monetary Policy Committee
- Mariana Mazzucato, Professor, University of Sussex
- Anastasia Nesvetailova, Professor, City University London
- Thomas Piketty, Professor, Paris School of Economics
- Ann Pettifor, Director, Policy Research in Macroeconomics (PRIME)
- Joseph Stiglitz, Professor, Columbia University and recipient of the 2001 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences
- Simon Wren-Lewis, Professor, University of Oxford
See also
- Official Opposition (United Kingdom)
- Official Opposition frontbench
- Cabinet of the United Kingdom
- British Government frontbench
- Liberal Democrat Frontbench Team
- Frontbench Team of Angus Robertson
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/JonathanreynoldsMP/posts/457765404423840:0
- ↑ http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jan/06/shadow-rail-minister-jonathan-reynolds-resigns-labour-reshuffle
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