The Staggers

The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog

Shadow cabinet candidates announced

The full list of candidates for the shadow cabinet with the New Statesman’s tips for who to watch.

By Caroline Crampton Published 29 September 2010 18:32

Although overshadowed by the announcement that David Miliband has not put his name forward, the full list of candidates for the shadow cabinet has just been released by the Labour Party. Here it is:

Diane Abbott
Douglas Alexander
Ed Balls
Hilary Benn
Ben Bradshaw
Andy Burnham
Roberta Blackman-Woods
Kevin Brennan
Liam Byrne
Chris Bryant
Vernon Coaker
Yvette Cooper (Health)
Mary Creagh
Wayne David
John Denham
Angela Eagle
Maria Eagle
Rob Flello
Caroline Flint
Mike Gapes
Barry Gardiner
Helen Goodman
Peter Hain
David Hanson
Tom Harris
John Healey
Meg Hillier
Huw Irranca-Davies
Alan Johnson
Eric Joyce
Kevan Jones
Tessa Jowell
Barbara Keeley
Sadiq Khan
David Lammy (Cabinet Office)
Chris Leslie
Ivan Lewis
Ian Lucas
Pat McFadden
Fiona Mactaggart
Ann McKechin
Alun Michael
Jim Murphy (Northern Ireland)
Gareth Thomas
Emily Thornberry
Stephen Timms
Stephen Twigg (Development)
Shaun Woodward
Iain Wright

Bold denotes inclusion in the NS's round-up of the elections -- you can read James Macintyre's full runners and riders piece here.

A rough count reveals at least 15 former cabinet members. As for absences, Jack Dromey is missing, as, of course, is David Miliband.

Diane Abbott is on the list, though, and it will be interesting to watch how she fares with her fellow MPs with her newly heightened profile after the leadership contest. Even before the ballot papers went out, Ed Miliband had said: "Diane shouldn't just go back to This Week when this is over. She has a part to play." Definitely one to watch.

There are 36 men standing and 13 women. Under new rules just brought in by the Parliamentary Labour Party, six of the 19 spots available have to go to women, even if their male counterparts outpoll them. That means just under half of the women standing will end up in the shadow cabinet.

The former cabinet office-holders Yvette Cooper, Tessa Jowell and Caroline Flint will be strongly tipped to take three of the spots, but beyond that the field among the women looks wide open.

UPDATE: It is also worth noting that, following the news that Nick Brown will not be standing to retain his position to shadow chief whip, Rosie Winterton is now the only candidate for the position.

Tags: Shadow Cabinet

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12 comments

Wed, 2010-09-29 18:48 — swatantra

I don't imsgine Liam Byrne will prove all that popular since he presented the Coalition with a cast iron rejoinder.
Hain should give it a rest and let someone else have a go, and so too Johnson.
Abbott could be a junior Whip.

Wed, 2010-09-29 18:56 — Dave C (not verified)

It'll be interesting to see to what extent the successful candidates can be shoehorned into the "new generation" mantra.

Wed, 2010-09-29 19:08 — Arthur Williamson (not verified)

Ed Milliband should follow the same route as Tony Blair and appoint members from both the left and right of the party, so as to help bring unity.

Diane Abbot, please NO!!!!! She has a POLITICAL history of socialism and equality, but never practices what she preaches.

Wed, 2010-10-06 18:42 — Joe (not verified)

Ed M - Leader
Ed B - Chancellor
Andy B - Home
Harriet H - Health
Hilary B - Foreign
Yvette C - Treasury
Alan J - Business

Wed, 2010-09-29 19:21 — jie4v7i14

But whatever, Ed,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htpePBELOS8

Wed, 2010-09-29 19:26 — jie4v7i14

Gabby Drake,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ft3e4w6cKXE

Wed, 2010-09-29 19:58 — jie4v7i14

more Gabby, with JG Ballard, that he no doubt picked up, hitched,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT2eECKvdTc

Wed, 2010-09-29 20:06 — jie4v7i14

Warm Leatherette, sign in required,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHM8ClE-niQ

Fri, 2010-10-01 00:54 — Brassick (not verified)

not surprised ed miliband got the job, he promised the workers the most gold and isn't that how communism works afterall.

ed balls will get the shadow chancellor job guaranteed - he was invited to the 2006 bildeberg meeting (where these matters are decided) along with george osbourne who has since been appointed chancellor of the exchequer - let the stitch up commence

Thu, 2010-09-30 15:54 — MitchX2

I think this is a real opportunity for Labour to get a real fresh feel about the front bench. But I think there are few older faces who deserve better jobs. Obviously Harman will get a good job, most likely Shadow Foreign Secretary with David out the way. My big portfolio takers would be;
Ed Miliband - Leader
Harriet Harman - Shadow Foreign Sec.
Ed Balls - Shadow Home Sec.
Yvette Cooper - Shadow Chancellor.
Andy Burnham - Shadow Education.
Hilary Benn - Shadow Health.
Jim Murphy - Shadow Defence.

A mixture of the old an new, why Benn? Well I saw his speech at conference and thought that he would be a good member to have that high up the party.
Hopefully guys like Dougie Alexander and Jim Murphy get good jobs as well, especially Murphy. Murphy pretty much crafted the election in Scotland and we up here done excellently. His ability in debates with his Scottish counterparts back in May on BBC Scotland and STV were very professional and he comes across as a very smart, personable and able politician. He backed David Miliband, but Ed should really consider him for a good portfolio position in cabinet, one obviously with UK wide effect. I think he would be a good counterweight to Fox in the Defence porfolio, possibly even a good Shadow Chief Secretary of the Treasury. Like the article says, he has been under promoted. But Northern Ireland would be a waste of his talents, as it is a pretty minor role in shadow cabinet terms.
On the women front, Harman, Flint, Jowell and Cooper are all very able politicians, obviously Cooper and Harman will get good solid jobs in the party, and after Flint's window dressing comments I think she may get a portfolio like Health or something with a more domestic base to it.

As for Ed's big backers, Hain and Khan, if they get back into Shadow Cabinet, they'll be moderately promoted, most likely jobs as Shadow Local Govt. or something similar but it should be interesting to see the new cabinet. But if I was Ed that'd be my front bench big portfolio team.

On Balls, he is the most economically literate Labour MP, outwith Brown and Darling. He would be ideal, but we need to go with Cooper, there's never been a woman in that position in opposition or govt. It'll look like a radical new move by us, plus she has an economics degree, Balls would be ideal at Shadow Home Office, Theresa May would be prime bait for his relentless opposition and forensic mind set. He'd be a thorn in the Tory side there, or anywhere. But I think he could seriously wound them from the Shadow Home Office position, a post which no government has any luck with, form here though, I reckon he could also help craft the economic policies for Labour behind the scenes.

Fri, 2010-10-01 13:09 — Daniel (not verified)

Based on a careful consideration of which six women are likely to get in (and I think it'll only be six plus, of course Harriet, Rosie and Jan Royall) and the current men in the shadow cabinet likely to miss out (Byrne, Hain, MacFadden, Bradshaw) and those most likely to leap-frog them (Healey, Bryant, Brennan, Twigg, Lammy) I'm predicting the following line-up:

Ed Miliband - Leader of the Opposition

Harriet Harman - Deputy Leader, Shadow Deputy PM, Shadow Home Secretary (and Equalities)
All talk of Harriet getting a plum job in appreciation of her interim leadership will be realised, but not Health, she'll shadow Theresa in a real 'big' role!

Yvette Cooper - Shadow Chancellor
Gives the greatest latitude for the new leader in deciding on Labour's economic policies. She will likely top the Shadow Cabinet poll and Ed Balls cannot complain about the appointment.

Alan Johnson - Shadow Business Secretary
The big issue at this brief may well become those related to the post office and universities. Johnson is experienced with both as a former DTI and Education Sec. Balls will not take an economic portfolio in the shadow of Yvette. There are few other obvious contenders, esp. if MacFadden and Byrne don't make the cut.

Douglas Alexander - Shadow Foreign Secretary
A reward for Douglas' 3 years at DFID and a unifying promotion given Douglas' role in brother David's campaign. Alexander will handle this brief well, he's astute, good in the media and not someone that'll be bothered about being cast away from the cut-and-thrust of economic/public sector portfolios.

Sadiq Khan - Shadow Justice Secretary
A big promotion for Ed's biggest shadow cabinet supporter. A good fit for this former solicitor. Again, few obvious alternative candidates.

John Denham - Shadow Health Secretary
Another Ed M supporter, a competent speaker and a safe pair of hands. Andrew Lansley isn't the toughest of opponents.

Ed Balls - Shadow Education Secretary
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Perhaps he can also shadow Willetts at Universities and Science to boost his portfolio?

Andy Burnham - Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary
He really didn't set the place on fire with his leadership campaign. I'm not sure he's justified keeping the key portfolio of Health. A sideways shunt/demotion to DCLG seems a possibility.

Jim Murphy - Shadow Scotland Secretary and Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary
A smaller promotion than expected for the machine politician par excellence.

Hilary Benn - Shadow Energy and Climate Secretary
Another Ed M supporter, a competent speaker and a safe pair of hands, and a promotion from DEFRA to a sensitive brief that is likely to continue to grab headlines in the coming months and years.

Tessa Jowell - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, and Shadow Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform
In this role Tessa can continue to be a sort of 'Minister for the Today Programme' and she can pick up the specific responsibilities for shadowing Nick Clegg's portfolio (political and constitutional reform).

Caroline Flint - Shadow Defece Secretary
If David M had won she may have grabbed something like Health but this arch-Blairite is too ideologically centre-right to be given a key public service role. This is a bold prediction as no woman has ever been Defence, or Shadow Defence, Secretary. This probably won't happen but I wanted something bold!

Ann McKechin - Shadow International Development Secretary
A big Ed M supporter and a member of the DFID Select Committee for some years.

Emily Thornberry - Shadow Environment Secretary
A lower profile portfolio since the creation of DECC. Thornberry is another big Ed M supporter and this is a relatively low profile first brief on which she can cut her teeth.

Angela Eagle - Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary
A competent media performer who handled her last government job as Pensions Minister well. A natural step up for the more senior Eagle.

David Lammy - Shadow Cabinet Office Minister
A junior role for the newcomer, out of the public spotlight.

Kevin Brennan - Shadow Wales Secretary
This could just as easily go to Bryant but my bet is that Brennan gets this relatively junior post as his first in shadow cabinet. Bryant could also see going from Europe to Wales as a demotion!

Stephen Twigg - Shadow Transport Secretary
A relatively low key role for someone likely to make it back to the frontbench. It was a long time ago but Twigg was a fairly senior minister (for School Standards) once.

Chris Bryant - Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary
I don't want to come across as stereotypical by handing a gay guy the culture and media portfolio but I think Bryant would fit well here. I initially thought he'd go to DFID but he ranked Ed M low on his ballot and that might hurt him.

John Healey - Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
A good counter-balance to Yvette with plenty of years as a Treasury minister to draw upon.

Rosie Winterton - Opposition Chief Whip
Ex-officio.

Baroness Royall - Leader of the Opposition in the Lords
Ex-officio.

Tony Lloyd - Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party
Ex-officio.