Initial thoughts on the shadow cabinet election
Initial thoughts on the shadow cabinet election.
- It's an extremely inexperienced team. Only Tessa Jowell, John Denham and Angela Eagle of those elected today have Commons experience of the last time Labour was in Opposition, along with Harriet Harman and Tony Lloyd who both sit ex-officio.
- About ten Welsh MPs stood, but amazingly none was elected. That includes Peter Hain, who has lots of experience, and could have filled many different slots - Wales, NI, FCO, Justice, DWP etc, and was a leading member of Ed Miliband's campaign team.
- Eight members of the shadow cabinet come from within the south Yorkshire triangle between Sheffield, Doncaster and Leeds - Ed Miliband, Rosie Winterton, Ed Balls, Yvette Cooper, Mary Creagh, John Healey, Caroline Flint and Hilary Benn.
- With his huge vote, John Healey, a former Treasury minister, might be a good outside bet for shadow chancellor, though his background as a former TUC official may not help his chances.
I'm Michael Crick, and I'm Newsnight's political editor. My guiding rule is that in any story there's usually something the politicians would prefer the world not to know. My job is to find that out. Follow me on
Comment number 1.
At 7th Oct 2010, Andy wrote:Hardly inexperienced - all except one has served as a minister previously.
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Comment number 2.
At 7th Oct 2010, iqbalhaji wrote:Having heard British accent all my life on 91Èȱ¬, I am sometimes dismayed by non-British accents of reporters. I know 91Èȱ¬ has to cut costs, but PLEASE>>>>>!!
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Comment number 3.
At 7th Oct 2010, KernowChris wrote:#1 Yes, but the issue has to be the level of experience, with so many adjacent seats gone, the new shadow cabinet is wholly different to it's immediate post election predecessor.
Ed M. has an intriging exercise over the coming weekend, and will need to look to his own backers as his adjkacent seats.
I wont guess, but I suspect a few 'leftfield' appointments will be made which will confound the political writers.
Interesting 48 hours ahead.
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Comment number 4.
At 7th Oct 2010, wesleyrd wrote:Leeds is hardly in South Yorkshire.
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Comment number 5.
At 7th Oct 2010, Neil Robertson wrote:Surprised you are not tipping Angela Eagle for Shadow Chancellor. She was an effective Treasury Minister, and crucially isn't a lightweight
"rabbit caught in headlights" married to Ed Balls - Gordon's economic bagman who deserves much of the blame for Labour loss of credibility.
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Comment number 6.
At 8th Oct 2010, Rianna Humble wrote:Mr Crick has an extremely interesting - if tendentious - definition of "inexperienced". Apparently for him it is more important to have been in opposition 14 years ago than to know the ministerial role that you are to shadow.
Unfortunately for Mr Crick's argument, the role of the shadow cabinet is to present credible opposition to the ConDem ministers' policies, not to state what went on 14 years ago. To be successful in that role, a shadow minister needs to understand the portfolio (s)he is shadowing.
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Comment number 7.
At 8th Oct 2010, barriesingleton wrote:C'MON MICHAEL - STEP OUT OF THE LIE!
All those who qualify for a place in the Westminster illusion have already passed through series of filters. They 'join' a party - accepting its dogma. They are vetted by a party-orientated committee, for 'appropriate' qualities. They undergo the humiliating procedure of being a 'rosette stand', rather than themselves, at General Election. They tolerate being 'Honourable', whipped ciphers.
The Shadow Cabinet is a subset of the above. They are the pile of Titanic deckchairs that should have been thrown into the boilers long ago, as only a minority would risk sitting in them.
You write of the 'South Yorkshire Triangle'; I am focused on the 'Liangle' of money, media and 'minster. C'mon Michael - emulate Vaclav Havel's greengrocer and STEP OUT OF THE LIE. You will, of course, be fired and never work again. But what a public service!
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