Tuesday 7 April 2020

Who will really represent Wales or Scotland in the Shadow Cabinet

So there are three Welsh MPs in Keir Starmar Shadow Cabinet.

More or less in order of importance  they are 






  • 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 Strategy 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)
  • 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
 A demotion for Llanelli MP Nia Griffith from Defence , a promotion for Cardiff Central Jo Stevens  and a very high promotion for Torfaen's Nick Thomas-Symonds, 
It will be interesting to see of Ms Griffith her Scottish and Northern Ireland counterparts manages to express  the  new Labour leadership call for a fully federal UK, devolving power to the nations and regions of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland after Brexit.
In January the then  shadow Brexit secretary said only a new federal structure for the UK could “repair the shattered trust in politics”, amid growing clamour in Scotland for another independence referendum.
He said there would need to be a national conversation about a new constitutional settlement. However, it could mean taking more power away from Westminster and handing it to regional authorities and devolved governments on areas such as raising taxes, green industrial strategies and transport systems.
Nia Griffiths  has not really , seemed to be an ardent supporter of more devolution . her predecessor Christina Rees, was largely anonymous in the role.
Of course anonymity is properly the best route for those who Shadow the Ministers for the devolved legislature , some might even se as a "Non-Job", especially as Mr Starmar has said that he wants the devolved leaders to have more say.
Interesting thought , who will really represent Wales or Scotland  in the Shadow Cabinet Nia Griffiths or Mark Drakeford? Ian Murray or Scottish Labour Leader Richard Leonard.

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