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Labour reshuffle: Jeremy Corbyn releases his full Shadow Cabinet list

Mr Corbyn has taken back control of party's NEC

Caroline Mortimer
Friday 07 October 2016 13:37 EDT
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Jeremy Corbyn with shadow Chancellor John McDonnell. The leader has appointed his rivals to key positions but has kept his supporters in the top jobs
Jeremy Corbyn with shadow Chancellor John McDonnell. The leader has appointed his rivals to key positions but has kept his supporters in the top jobs (Getty Images)

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Jeremy Corbyn has announced his new Shadow Cabinet in the wake of his second Labour leadership victory last week.

Several moderates who opposed his leadership during the revolt in June have been appointed to key positions in the Shadow Cabinet – including the new shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer – and Labour Deputy Leader Tom Watson has been given the shadow Culture, Media and Sport brief.

But key Corbyn allies such as shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry and newly promoted shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott remain responsible for shadowing the four key "Great Offices of State".

Despite appointing Jon Ashworth as the new shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth, Mr Corbyn also forced him out of the party's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) and replaced him with one of his allies, Kate Osamor.

This gives him the crucial majority he needs to make it harder to starve off rebellions in future and change party positions on issues like Trident.

Mr Corbyn had initially hoped to seize control with the election of six of his supporters after they swept the board at the NEC elections in August but was blocked by the moderates who added two extra unelected seats representing Scotland and Wales to the committee.

Both Scottish and Welsh Labour leaders, Kezia Dugdale and Carwen Jones, have previously criticised Mr Corbyn's leadership.

The Guardian reported that Mr Ashworth was offered the shadow health brief but was told regardless of whether he was accepted he would be forced off the NEC.

During the battle for the leadership following the attempted coup NEC decisions continually frustrated both sides of the civil war.

The old NEC voted to ban new members from voting in the second leadership contest and raised the fee to vote as a supporter from £3 to £25 – angering Corbynistas – but allowed Mr Corbyn an automatic place on the ballot paper without him having to get 50 signatures from Labour MPs – angering moderates.

In a statement Mr Corbyn said: "Following my re-election as Leader of the Labour party, I have made a number of new appointments to Labour’s shadow cabinet.

"For the first time, two of the three ‘great offices of state’ are shadowed by women. Once again, the shadow cabinet has a majority of women, and has more black and minority ethnic appointees than any shadow cabinet or cabinet ever.

"I have acted to bring together a strong and diverse opposition leadership team. Our aim is to deliver what millions of people are demanding: a Labour party focused on holding this divisive government to account and winning the next general election."

Other key movements within the Shadow Cabinet include the removal of Rosie Winterton as chief whip in favour of former Gordon Brown ally, Nick Brown.

Ms Winterton, who has been in her post since Mr Corbyn won the first leadership election in September 2015, is perceived as one of the main bulwarks against calls for rebellious MPs to be deselected from within the team surrounding Mr Corbyn.

Former shadow Defence Secretary, Clive Lewis, has also been demoted to shadow Business Secretary. It has been speculated that this is due to an alleged altercation after Labour's Executive Director of Strategy and Communications, Seamus Milne, removed a passage from his conference speech where he pledged to support the Labour's official stance backing Trident renewal.

Mr Lewis reportedly punched a wall in frustration.

The list in full:

Leader of the Opposition – Rt. Hon. Jeremy Corbyn MP

Shadow Foreign Secretary – Emily Thornberry MP

Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer – John McDonnell MP

Shadow Home Secretary – Diane Abbott MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union – Sir Keir Starmer MP

Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury – Rebecca Long-Bailey MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Business – Clive Lewis MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Education – Angela Rayner MP

Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade – Barry Gardiner MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Defence – Nia Griffith MP

Shadow Lord President of the Council and National Elections and Campaigns Co-ordinator – Jon Trickett MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions – Debbie Abrahams MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Health – Jonathan Ashworth MP

Shadow Secretary of State for International Development – Kate Osamor MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Transport – Andy McDonald MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government – Teresa Pearce MP (standing in for Grahame Morris MP, who is on leave)

Shadow Secretary of State for Justice – Richard Burgon MP

Shadow Attorney General –Baroness Shami Chakrabarti

Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport – Tom Watson MP

Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – Rachael Maskell MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland and Northern Ireland – Dave Anderson MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Wales – Jo Stevens MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Housing – Rt. Hon. John Healey MP

Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities – Sarah Champion MP

Shadow Minister for Diverse Communities – Dawn Butler MP

Shadow Minister for Voter Engagement and Youth Affairs – Cat Smith MP

Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office – Ian Lavery MP

Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Social Care – Barbara Keeley MP

Shadow Minister without Portfolio – Andrew Gwynne MP

Shadow Leader of the House – Valerie Vaz MP

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