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| Jonathan Ashworth made shadow health secretary but urged to quit NEC | Jonathan Ashworth made shadow health secretary but urged to quit NEC |
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| Jeremy Corbyn has promoted Jonathan Ashworth to become his shadow health secretary but would like the Labour MP give up his place on the party’s national executive committee in return, the Guardian understands. | Jeremy Corbyn has promoted Jonathan Ashworth to become his shadow health secretary but would like the Labour MP give up his place on the party’s national executive committee in return, the Guardian understands. |
| The Leicester politician, widely seen as an effective opponent to the Conservatives, will take on the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, amid the long-running battle between his department and junior doctors over a new contract. | |
| The health position was vacated after Corbyn moved Diane Abbott into the shadow home secretary role and sacked his chief whip, Rosie Winterton, in a post-conference reshuffle that some MPs have described as vengeful. | The health position was vacated after Corbyn moved Diane Abbott into the shadow home secretary role and sacked his chief whip, Rosie Winterton, in a post-conference reshuffle that some MPs have described as vengeful. |
| Maintaining Emily Thornberry as shadow foreign secretary, Corbyn said: “These appointments mean, for the first time ever, two out of the three traditional great offices of state will be shadowed by women.” | |
| Ashworth has remained loyal in public media appearances but is not seen as a supporter of the leadership team, which is why Corbyn would like him to quit the NEC, which is finely balanced. The makeup of Labour’s controlling committee is seen as key as it controls any changes that could affect how the party is made up. | |
| Corbyn, who has been re-elected with an even bigger mandate from members, needs to fill more than 60 frontbench positions after mass resignations and a no-confidence vote in the summer. | |
| In a sign that he wants to reassert his authority, Corbyn replaced Winterton with Nick Brown, who held the role under Gordon Brown, and also appointed ally Shami Chakrabarti, who was given a peerage after completing an inquiry on antisemitism for the party, as shadow attorney general. | |
| The decision triggered a “disappointed” response from a leading group representing the Jewish community, who felt the inquiry fell short of rooting out antisemitism within Labour. | The decision triggered a “disappointed” response from a leading group representing the Jewish community, who felt the inquiry fell short of rooting out antisemitism within Labour. |
| Marie van der Zyl, the vice-president of the Board of Deputies, accused Lady Chakrabarti of having “sold out the Jewish community”. “We hoped her report would be a potent weapon in the fight against antisemitism. It now looks increasingly like the whitewash was a job application,” she said. | |
| Corbyn hailed the appointments of Abbott, Chakrabarti and Dawn Butler, as the shadow minister for black and minority ethnic communities, for boosting the representation of non-white politicians at the top of Labour. Alongside Kate Osamor and Clive Lewis already in his team, he said it meant “five MPs in our shadow cabinet from the BAME community – the highest number ever in any cabinet or shadow cabinet”. | |
| However, moving Lewis from shadow defence secretary to business led to speculation that the former soldier was being punished after he told Labour conference that he would not attempt to overturn the party’s position in support of renewing Britain’s nuclear deterrent. | However, moving Lewis from shadow defence secretary to business led to speculation that the former soldier was being punished after he told Labour conference that he would not attempt to overturn the party’s position in support of renewing Britain’s nuclear deterrent. |
| He was replaced by Nia Griffith, a unilateralist who has campaigned against Trident. In October, the Llanelli MP called for a “genuine rethink” on the country’s nuclear programme. | He was replaced by Nia Griffith, a unilateralist who has campaigned against Trident. In October, the Llanelli MP called for a “genuine rethink” on the country’s nuclear programme. |
| The change will prompt concern from some unions, including Unite and GMB, which have pushed Corbyn to maintain Labour’s current policy of supporting Trident’s renewal. However, sources close to Corbyn, who has been a lifelong campaigner against nuclear weapons, insisted that was not the motivation. | The change will prompt concern from some unions, including Unite and GMB, which have pushed Corbyn to maintain Labour’s current policy of supporting Trident’s renewal. However, sources close to Corbyn, who has been a lifelong campaigner against nuclear weapons, insisted that was not the motivation. |
| The reshuffle comes after Labour MPs failed to reach a deal with the leadership team over shadow cabinet elections as a means of offering some politicians a dignified way back, meaning that some MPs will be less likely to agree to take up positions. | The reshuffle comes after Labour MPs failed to reach a deal with the leadership team over shadow cabinet elections as a means of offering some politicians a dignified way back, meaning that some MPs will be less likely to agree to take up positions. |
| Corbyn’s team say that negotiations are ongoing but believe that they can fill the roles without any formal peace settlement. | Corbyn’s team say that negotiations are ongoing but believe that they can fill the roles without any formal peace settlement. |
| One popular appointment was Keir Starmer, the former director of public prosecutions, to the position of shadow Brexit secretary. Jonathan Reynolds, who represents a Greater Manchester constituency and who had previously resigned from Corbyn’s team, has also been appointed as shadow city minister. | One popular appointment was Keir Starmer, the former director of public prosecutions, to the position of shadow Brexit secretary. Jonathan Reynolds, who represents a Greater Manchester constituency and who had previously resigned from Corbyn’s team, has also been appointed as shadow city minister. |
| Corbyn used that decision to try to counter the criticism that the top four most senior positions in the party are now held by London MPs, with three of them in the boroughs of Islington and Hackney. | Corbyn used that decision to try to counter the criticism that the top four most senior positions in the party are now held by London MPs, with three of them in the boroughs of Islington and Hackney. |
| Abbott’s appointment has been controversial because she has been vocal in expressing pro-immigration views that some in the party think could hamper Labour’s efforts to reach out to their northern heartlands. | Abbott’s appointment has been controversial because she has been vocal in expressing pro-immigration views that some in the party think could hamper Labour’s efforts to reach out to their northern heartlands. |
| “Jon joins 10 Labour MPs from the north of England who have already been appointed to our frontbench. I welcome Jon’s agreement to serve as shadow City minister,” said Corbyn. | |
| Jon Trickett will be shadow lord president of the council and Labour’s national campaigns coordinator – having asked to be relinquished of an additional role as shadow business secretary. He was one of a number of MPs carrying out several roles after the resignations. | |
| The Guardian understands that MPs who stepped forward following the mass walkout after the June EU referendum will not be forced out of Corbyn’s team, limiting the number of new positions that are available to be filled. | The Guardian understands that MPs who stepped forward following the mass walkout after the June EU referendum will not be forced out of Corbyn’s team, limiting the number of new positions that are available to be filled. |
| Other MPs who have been tipped for jobs are Dan Jarvis and John Healey. Another MP, who had also been talked about as a possible returnee, said they were not minded to serve because they felt that Corbyn had failed to reach out. They said they believed so-called moderates needed to learn from the way the leader had inspired members across the country – but felt Corbyn also needed to try to build a broad coalition. | Other MPs who have been tipped for jobs are Dan Jarvis and John Healey. Another MP, who had also been talked about as a possible returnee, said they were not minded to serve because they felt that Corbyn had failed to reach out. They said they believed so-called moderates needed to learn from the way the leader had inspired members across the country – but felt Corbyn also needed to try to build a broad coalition. |