Reading the list of roles of the Shadow Cabinet, what is very interesting (apart from Alan Johnson’s appointment) is the number of those either from, or representing, Yorkshire constituencies.
The list is as follows:
- Leader of the Opposition – Rt. Hon. Ed Miliband MP (Doncaster North)
- Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer – Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP (Hull West and Hessle)
- Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Minister for Women and Equalities – Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP (Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford)
- Shadow Secretary of State for the Home Department – Rt Hon Ed Balls MP (Morley and Outwood)
- Chief Whip – Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MP (Doncaster Central)
- Shadow Secretary of State for Health – Rt Hon John Healey MP (Wentworth and Dearne)
- Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government – Rt Hon Caroline Flint MP (Don Valley)
- Shadow Leader of the House of Commons – Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP (Leeds Central)
- Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – Mary Creagh MP (Wakefield)
Also attending Shadow Cabinet meetings will be the Shadow Minister of State – Cabinet Office – Jon Trickett MP (Hemsworth).
Many of these, of course, are not actually from Yorkshire – only Jon Trickett and John Healey I believe were born in Yorkshire, whilst Rosie Winterton studied at Hull University and Harriet Harman at York – but the list is surprising.
Whether this is intentional or simply reflects that many safe Labour seats are in Yorkshire, who knows. With more discretionary appointments to come there may be even more.
Mehdi Hasan recently reported that key members of Ed Miliband’s campaign team were aiming to “build a ring of steel” around him. It seems that this was Yorkshire steel, perhaps.
You can follow Rob Higson on Twitter.
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