Ed Miliband in shock Labour comeback as Keir Starmer appoints him to his Shadow Cabinet
Ed Miliband was Labour leader from 2010 until 2015.
2 min read
Ed Miliband has returned to frontline politics after being given a job in Keir Starmer's first Shadow Cabinet as Labour leader.
The former leader has been appointed Shadow Business Secretary, replacing Rebecca Long-Bailey, who is moved to be Shadow Education Secretary.
Other notable appointments in a new-look top team include David Lammy as Shadow Justice Secretary, John Healey moved from housing to Shadow Defence Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds as Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary and Bridget Philipson as Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
Sir Keir had already announced that Anneliese Dodds would be Shadow Chancellor, with new deputy leader Angela Rayner becoming party chair.
Lisa Nandy, who came third in the Labour leadership race, is the new Shadow Foreign Secretary, while Nick Thomas-Symonds becomes Shadow Home Secretary.
Elsewhere Emily Thornberry becomes Shadow International Trade Secretary, while Andy McDonald, one of few allies of Jeremy Corbyn to survive, has been made Shadow Employment Rights and Protections Secretary.
Among those ousted were Ian Lavery, Barry Gardiner, Jon Trickett and Richard Burgon.
But it was a "delighted" Mr Miliband's comeback to the frontbench, nearly five years after he quit as leader in the wake of the 2015 election, which has caused the biggest shock.
He said: "We must all focus on playing our part in the country's response to coronavirus, working with government to help the many businesses and workers who have been so badly hit and need their voice heard.
"As Keir has said, we cannot go back to business as usual after this crisis. We will need to reshape our economy, addressing the insecurity many millions of workers face.
"We must also return to climate change as the unavoidable long-term issue of our time, including with a recovery based on providing economic justice through a green new deal."
Sir Keir 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."
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
