This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/sep/13/jeremy-corbyn-shadow-cabinet-andy-burnham-labour
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| John McDonnell appointed shadow chancellor on Corbyn's new frontbench | John McDonnell appointed shadow chancellor on Corbyn's new frontbench |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Jeremy Corbyn, the new Labour leader, is facing the first test of his new political mandate after appointing his closest political ally, John McDonnell, as shadow chancellor. The decision means that the five most senior positions will be filled by men, including Andy Burnham as shadow home secretary and Hilary Benn as shadow foreign secretary. | Jeremy Corbyn, the new Labour leader, is facing the first test of his new political mandate after appointing his closest political ally, John McDonnell, as shadow chancellor. The decision means that the five most senior positions will be filled by men, including Andy Burnham as shadow home secretary and Hilary Benn as shadow foreign secretary. |
| There had been fierce resistance within the shadow cabinet and even among some union leaders to the appointment of McDonnell, with some asking Corbyn to appoint Angela Eagle as shadow chancellor, to balance the shadow cabinet politically and by gender. Eagle was instead given the post of shadow business secretary and will also become shadow first secretary of state, deputising for Corbyn in the Commons. | There had been fierce resistance within the shadow cabinet and even among some union leaders to the appointment of McDonnell, with some asking Corbyn to appoint Angela Eagle as shadow chancellor, to balance the shadow cabinet politically and by gender. Eagle was instead given the post of shadow business secretary and will also become shadow first secretary of state, deputising for Corbyn in the Commons. |
| McDonnell was Corbyn’s leadership campaign manager and has advocated nationalisation without compensation in the past as well as 60p tax rates. Inside the parliamentary party, his appointment was seen as a disavowal of Corbyn’s commitment to create a political consensus. | McDonnell was Corbyn’s leadership campaign manager and has advocated nationalisation without compensation in the past as well as 60p tax rates. Inside the parliamentary party, his appointment was seen as a disavowal of Corbyn’s commitment to create a political consensus. |
| The lack of high-profile jobs for women went down badly with many. The Labour MP for Hull North, Diana Johnson tweeted: | The lack of high-profile jobs for women went down badly with many. The Labour MP for Hull North, Diana Johnson tweeted: |
| It is so very disappointing - old fashioned male dominated Labour politics in the top positions in Shadow Cabinet #notforgirls | It is so very disappointing - old fashioned male dominated Labour politics in the top positions in Shadow Cabinet #notforgirls |
| But Corbyn has witnessed the political difficulties inside the party when the leader and its chief economics spokesman are not instinctive allies. | But Corbyn has witnessed the political difficulties inside the party when the leader and its chief economics spokesman are not instinctive allies. |
| In further appointments, Corbyn made Lucy Powell, a former chief of staff to Ed Miliband, the new shadow education secretary. Michael Dugher, campaign manager to Burnham and previously shadow transport secretary, was made shadow culture secretary. Diane Abbott was appointed shadow secretary of state for international development. | In further appointments, Corbyn made Lucy Powell, a former chief of staff to Ed Miliband, the new shadow education secretary. Michael Dugher, campaign manager to Burnham and previously shadow transport secretary, was made shadow culture secretary. Diane Abbott was appointed shadow secretary of state for international development. |
| In a further sign of the deep tensions inside the party in the wake of Corbyn’s extraordinary election on Saturday, Chuka Umunna quit the front bench, saying he had been unable to secure an unambiguous promise from Corbyn that Labour would campaign for Britain to remain inside Europe in the coming referendum. | In a further sign of the deep tensions inside the party in the wake of Corbyn’s extraordinary election on Saturday, Chuka Umunna quit the front bench, saying he had been unable to secure an unambiguous promise from Corbyn that Labour would campaign for Britain to remain inside Europe in the coming referendum. |
| Umunna had not been offered a specific job in a conversation with the new Labour leader and his decision not to serve was a further sign of the deep ideological tensions between Corbyn and sections of the parliamentary party. During the 1980s, Europe was the issue that spiralled out of control for Labour and led to a split inside the party. Pro-Europeans across politics will be worried at Corbyn’s willingness to countenance the UK leaving the EU. | Umunna had not been offered a specific job in a conversation with the new Labour leader and his decision not to serve was a further sign of the deep ideological tensions between Corbyn and sections of the parliamentary party. During the 1980s, Europe was the issue that spiralled out of control for Labour and led to a split inside the party. Pro-Europeans across politics will be worried at Corbyn’s willingness to countenance the UK leaving the EU. |
| Tom Watson, elected deputy leader on Saturday, said on Sunday that he thought Labour must support remaining in Europe and stressed that he supported a renewal of the Trident nuclear submarine system, a position Corbyn has rejected for a decade and had made a centrepiece of his triumphant leadership campaign. | Tom Watson, elected deputy leader on Saturday, said on Sunday that he thought Labour must support remaining in Europe and stressed that he supported a renewal of the Trident nuclear submarine system, a position Corbyn has rejected for a decade and had made a centrepiece of his triumphant leadership campaign. |
| After a day – and night – at Westminster huddled with advisers, including the reappointed shadow chief whip Rosie Winterton, Corbyn faced a slow drip of ministerial resignations and then, late in the evening, moved to stabilise the parliamentary party by making a series of appointments. Alongside Corbyn and Watson’s own election, the quintet now at the top of the party is entirely male. | After a day – and night – at Westminster huddled with advisers, including the reappointed shadow chief whip Rosie Winterton, Corbyn faced a slow drip of ministerial resignations and then, late in the evening, moved to stabilise the parliamentary party by making a series of appointments. Alongside Corbyn and Watson’s own election, the quintet now at the top of the party is entirely male. |
| Both Harriet Harman as deputy leader and Yvette Cooper as shadow home secretary have stood down. Cooper will head a taskforce examining the refugee crisis. | Both Harriet Harman as deputy leader and Yvette Cooper as shadow home secretary have stood down. Cooper will head a taskforce examining the refugee crisis. |
| In a bid to counter the gender imbalance, Corbyn announced Abbott’s appointment and said that the relatively unknown but respected Heidi Alexander would take the post of shadow health secretary and Seema Malhotra will act as shadow chief secretary to the Treasury. | In a bid to counter the gender imbalance, Corbyn announced Abbott’s appointment and said that the relatively unknown but respected Heidi Alexander would take the post of shadow health secretary and Seema Malhotra will act as shadow chief secretary to the Treasury. |
| Related: Tom Watson: unifying stalwart or manipulative and divisive fixer? | |
| The existing shadow justice secretary Lord Falconer, an ally of Burnham and one-time Blairite, will remain as shadow lord chancellor. Corbyn had previously promised half the shadow cabinet would be women. | The existing shadow justice secretary Lord Falconer, an ally of Burnham and one-time Blairite, will remain as shadow lord chancellor. Corbyn had previously promised half the shadow cabinet would be women. |
| Alexander, a former whip, has helped establish the “Red Shift” group set up in the wake of the election defeat, calling for the party to show that it understood that “money did not grow on trees”. | Alexander, a former whip, has helped establish the “Red Shift” group set up in the wake of the election defeat, calling for the party to show that it understood that “money did not grow on trees”. |
| McDonnell, an hour before the announcement of his new position wa made, shared a platform with Yanis Varoufakis, the former Greek finance minister at a TUC fringe meeting. He defended the appointments which were soon to be declared. | McDonnell, an hour before the announcement of his new position wa made, shared a platform with Yanis Varoufakis, the former Greek finance minister at a TUC fringe meeting. He defended the appointments which were soon to be declared. |
| “I am hoping that within the hour we will have a shadow cabinet put together. As you know, that has been slightly more challenging than the traditional shadow cabinet. It will be as broad-based as we could possibly make it and as inclusive as possible,” he said. | “I am hoping that within the hour we will have a shadow cabinet put together. As you know, that has been slightly more challenging than the traditional shadow cabinet. It will be as broad-based as we could possibly make it and as inclusive as possible,” he said. |
| McDonnell, the former head of finance at the GLC under Ken Livingstone, quipped that some people were already trying to compare him to Varoufakis because of his anti-austerity views: “Someone said to me ‘are you going to be Britain’s Yanis Varoufakis?’ And I said, ‘I could never be that cool,’” he said, to laughter from a supportive audience. | McDonnell, the former head of finance at the GLC under Ken Livingstone, quipped that some people were already trying to compare him to Varoufakis because of his anti-austerity views: “Someone said to me ‘are you going to be Britain’s Yanis Varoufakis?’ And I said, ‘I could never be that cool,’” he said, to laughter from a supportive audience. |
| Related: Corbyn victory energises the alienated and alienates the establishment | Gary Younge | Related: Corbyn victory energises the alienated and alienates the establishment | Gary Younge |
| Regarding the trade union bill, which will go before the Commons on Monday, McDonnell said that he and Corbyn would “expect” Labour MPs to vote against it during its second reading in Parliament and will convene a conference for those who oppose austerity right across Europe. | Regarding the trade union bill, which will go before the Commons on Monday, McDonnell said that he and Corbyn would “expect” Labour MPs to vote against it during its second reading in Parliament and will convene a conference for those who oppose austerity right across Europe. |
| He refused to say whether a Corbyn-McDonnell administration would support or reject withdrawal from the EU. | He refused to say whether a Corbyn-McDonnell administration would support or reject withdrawal from the EU. |
| “Jeremy has made it clear is that what we should be working with parties across Europe for is a reform package across Europe itself. Whatever [David] Cameron comes back with, we will have to assess what that is. If it is any attack on employment rights or the promotion of TTIP [Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership], we will be rejecting that package but we will have to come up with a reform programme as well. Jeremy has not supported withdrawal but has not given Cameron a free pass on it,” he said. | “Jeremy has made it clear is that what we should be working with parties across Europe for is a reform package across Europe itself. Whatever [David] Cameron comes back with, we will have to assess what that is. If it is any attack on employment rights or the promotion of TTIP [Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership], we will be rejecting that package but we will have to come up with a reform programme as well. Jeremy has not supported withdrawal but has not given Cameron a free pass on it,” he said. |