“Fresh” and “new”, words being floated around regarding Ed Miliband’s appointment of his new Shadow Cabinet.
It is a move which can only be seen as a further attempt to move himself away from the traditional turf-war political battles which have severely damaged the Labour Party in recent years. Bringing forward political figures who never managed to find a spot on Gordon Brown’s front bench, such as Diane Abbott who is well known for her work with Michael Portillo on the BBC’s ‘This Week’ and for running against Ed Miliband in the recent Labour leadership contest. Abbott will be working under John Healey in his role as Shadow Health Secretary.
For the upcoming economic battle, which is sure to be the issue at the forefront of British politics for the next five years, Miliband has sent Alan Johnson as Shadow Chancellor. A figure to appease those in the Labour Party who have tarnished him with the “Red Ed” moniker, Johnson was backing David Miliband. With the spending review rapidly approaching on the 20th October, Alan Johnson will face a baptism by fire as the Labour Party deals with the huge package of cuts being assembled by the Coalition government.
As for the rest of the cabinet, Ed Balls, thought to be the main player for the role of Shadow Chancellor, has taken the position of Shadow Home Secretary, something he most probably resents considering he seemed destined to end up in the Treasury (Alan Johnson even joked that his first job as Chancellor would be to “pick up a primer of economics for beginners”). And Yvette Cooper, Ed Balls wife, has taken the position of Shadow Foreign Secretary, considered to be one of the most popular figures in the Labour Party (she certainly would have given the Miliband brothers a run for their money in the leadership contest had she run). Harriet Harmen retains her position as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, a role she has retained since 2007. And Sadiq Khan one of the most high profile Muslim MP’s and an early backer of Ed Milibands campaign for the leadership, taking his position as the Shadow Justice Secretary.
Looking at the cabinet as a whole its a bit of a mixed bag, whilst Ed Miliband may be positioning figures such as Diane Abbott to the front bench in order to inspire the media to brand him as “new” and “fresh”. It is important to realise that much of Milibands cabinet is far from “new” or “fresh”, figures like Alan Johnson are very much continuing the ‘Brownite’ era of Labour Party politics. The test of the new Shadow Cabinet will be the Spending Review on the 20th, putting Milibands new team to the test whether or not they can form a strong opposition.
For the upcoming economic battle, which is sure to be the issue at the forefront of British politics for the next five years, Miliband has sent Alan Johnson as Shadow Chancellor. A figure to appease those in the Labour Party who have tarnished him with the “Red Ed” moniker, Johnson was backing David Miliband. With the spending review rapidly approaching on the 20th October, Alan Johnson will face a baptism by fire as the Labour Party deals with the huge package of cuts being assembled by the Coalition government.
As for the rest of the cabinet, Ed Balls, thought to be the main player for the role of Shadow Chancellor, has taken the position of Shadow Home Secretary, something he most probably resents considering he seemed destined to end up in the Treasury (Alan Johnson even joked that his first job as Chancellor would be to “pick up a primer of economics for beginners”). And Yvette Cooper, Ed Balls wife, has taken the position of Shadow Foreign Secretary, considered to be one of the most popular figures in the Labour Party (she certainly would have given the Miliband brothers a run for their money in the leadership contest had she run). Harriet Harmen retains her position as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, a role she has retained since 2007. And Sadiq Khan one of the most high profile Muslim MP’s and an early backer of Ed Milibands campaign for the leadership, taking his position as the Shadow Justice Secretary.
Looking at the cabinet as a whole its a bit of a mixed bag, whilst Ed Miliband may be positioning figures such as Diane Abbott to the front bench in order to inspire the media to brand him as “new” and “fresh”. It is important to realise that much of Milibands cabinet is far from “new” or “fresh”, figures like Alan Johnson are very much continuing the ‘Brownite’ era of Labour Party politics. The test of the new Shadow Cabinet will be the Spending Review on the 20th, putting Milibands new team to the test whether or not they can form a strong opposition.
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