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Ed Miliband returns to Labour frontbench as Keir Starmer announces shadow cabinet

Former Labour party leader Ed Miliband walks along Victoria Embankment in London. - Credit: PA

Ed Miliband will return to the Labour frontbench under Sir Keir Starmer as the new leader revealed an overhauled shadow cabinet that includes his former leadership rivals.

Miliband, who was succeeded by Jeremy Corbyn after leading the party to electoral defeat, was named as the new shadow business secretary on Monday.

His predecessor in the role, Rebecca Long-Bailey, has been moved to education and joins fellow leadership rival Lisa Nandy in Sir Keir’s top team.

Former shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry – who also ran for the leadership – has been appointed shadow international trade secretary.

In other appointments David Lammy enters the shadow cabinet as shadow justice secretary and John Healey becomes shadow defence secretary.


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David Lammy, a leading voice against the Windrush scandal who practised as a barrister, was named as shadow justice secretary.

Rosena Allin-Khan, who stood unsuccessfully for the deputy leadership and who continues to work as a hospital doctor, is shadow minister for mental health.

Party leader Sir Keir Starmer said: ‘I’m proud to have appointed a shadow cabinet that showcases the breadth, depth and talents of the Labour Party.

‘This is a new team that will be relentlessly focused on acting in the national interest to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and rebuilding Labour so that it can win the next election.’

The full list is as follows:

– Keir Starmer, Leader of the Opposition

– Angela Rayner, Deputy Leader and Chair of the Labour Party

– Anneliese Dodds, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer

– Lisa Nandy, Shadow Foreign Secretary

– Nick Thomas-Symonds, Shadow Home Secretary

– Rachel Reeves, Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

– David Lammy, Shadow Justice Secretary

– John Healey, Shadow Defence Secretary

– Ed Miliband, Shadow Business, Energy and Industrial Secretary

– Emily Thornberry, Shadow International Trade Secretary

– Jonathan Reynolds, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary

– Jonathan Ashworth, Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

– Rebecca Long-Bailey, Shadow Education Secretary

– Jo Stevens, Shadow Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

– Bridget Philipson, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury

– Luke Pollard, Shadow Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary

– Steve Reed, Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary

– Thangam Debbonaire, Shadow Housing Secretary

– Jim McMahon, Shadow Transport Secretary

– Preet Kaur Gill, Shadow International Development Secretary

– Louise Haigh, Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary (interim while Tony Lloyd is in hospital being treated for coronavirus)

– Ian Murray, Shadow Scotland Secretary

– Nia Griffith, Shadow Wales Secretary

– Marsha de Cordova, Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary

– Andy McDonald, Shadow Employment Rights and Protections Secretary

– Rosena Allin-Khan, Shadow Minister for Mental Health

– Cat Smith, Shadow Minister for Young People and Voter Engagement

– Lord Falconer, Shadow Attorney General

– Valerie Vaz, Shadow Leader of the House

– Nick Brown, Opposition Chief Whip

– Baroness Smith, Shadow Leader of the Lords

– Lord McAvoy, Lords’ Opposition Chief Whip

The following have left the shadow cabinet:

– Tracy Brabin

– Richard Burgon

– Dawn Butler

– Dan Carden

– Baroness Shami Chakrabarti

– Peter Dowd

– Barry Gardiner

– Margaret Greenwood

– Andrew Gwynne

– Barbara Keeley

– Ian Lavery

– Rachael Maskell

– Christina Rees

– Jon Trickett

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