Alan Johnson shocked Westminster today by resigning as Shadow Chanellor for "personal reasons to do with my family". Ed Balls is the new Shadow Chancellor.
Alan Johnson shocked Westminster today by resigning as Shadow Chanellor for “personal reasons to do with my family”.
Ed Miliband has immediately shuffled his team, with Ed Balls replacing Johnson, Yvette Cooper replacing Balls as shadow home secretary and Douglas Alexander replacing Cooper as shadow foreign secretary.
Liam Byrne becomes shadow work and pensions secretary alongside his responsibilities for the Labour Party policy review, and Tessa Jowell becomes Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office alongside her responsibilities for the Olympics.
In his resignation letter to Miliband, Johnson wrote:
“I have decided to resign from the Shadow Cabinet for personal reasons to do with my family. I have found it difficult to cope with these issues in my private life whilst carrying out an important front bench role…
“You are proving to be a formidable Leader of the Labour Party and will take the party from strength to strength in the years to come.”
With Miliband replying:
“It has always been clear that you never lost sight of the reasons which first brought you into politics. As Shadow Chancellor you spoke clearly to the public, warning of the dangers posed by the gamble the Government is taking with growth and jobs…
“I wish you all the best at this difficult time.”
Below is a full list of the newly reshuffled Shadow Cabinet:
Leader of the Opposition
Rt Hon Ed Miliband MPDeputy Leader of the Labour Party, Shadow Deputy Prime Minister and Shadow Secretary of State for International Development
Rt Hon Harriet Harman MPShadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
Rt Hon Ed Balls MPShadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MPShadow Secretary of State for the Home Department and Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MPChief Whip
Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MPShadow Secretary of State for Education and Election Coordinator
Rt Hon Andy Burnham MPShadow Lord Chancellor, Secretary of State for Justice (with responsibility for political and constitutional reform)
Rt Hon Sadiq Khan MPShadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (with responsibility for the policy review)
Rt Hon Liam Byrne MPShadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
Rt Hon John Denham MPShadow Secretary of State for Health
Rt Hon John Healey MPShadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Rt Hon Caroline Flint MPShadow Secretary of State for Defence
Rt Hon Jim Murphy MPShadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Angela Eagle MPShadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
Meg Hillier MPShadow Leader of the House of Commons
Rt Hon Hilary Benn MPShadow Secretary of State for Transport
Maria Eagle MPShadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Mary Creagh MPShadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Rt Hon Shaun Woodward MPShadow Secretary of State for Scotland
Ann McKechin MPShadow Secretary of State for Wales
Rt Hon Peter Hain MPShadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Ivan Lewis MPShadow Leader of the House of Lords
Rt Hon Baroness Royall of BlaisdonShadow Minister for the Cabinet Office and the Olympics
Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MPLords Chief Whip
Rt Hon Lord Bassam of BrightonShadow Attorney-General
Rt Hon Baroness Scotland of Ashtal QC
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20 Responses to “Johnson resigns as Shadow Chancellor – Balls takes over”
Abaris
RT @leftfootfwd: Johnson resigns as shadow Chancellor – Balls takes over: http://bit.ly/hs7PKf by @ShamikDas
House Of Twits
RT @AnnoAtHome My original dream during the #EM4Leader campaign: Balls as Chancellor (Johnson resigns): http://bit.ly/hs7PKf
Éoin Clarke
Ed Balls is one of the most intelligent economic minds in politics. You do not win elections by deploying him in an non-economi cposition. He will bring steel to the Shador Chancellor’s position. That he is a conviction politician and quick thinking will serve him incredibly well under interview & in the house of commons…
The more the public see of the real Ed Balls the more they will like him 🙂
Chloe Straw
RT @leftfootfwd: Johnson resigns as shadow Chancellor – Balls takes over: http://bit.ly/hs7PKf by @ShamikDas
william
Eoin Clarke,are you trying to guarantee we lose the next election?Balls was the right hand man of the unelected PM that brought the UK close to insolvency,and who was roundly rejected by the electorate.Have you not noticed that the electorate finally rejected the despicable behaviour of Alastair Campbell, Damien Macbride, et al.The English electors are not stupid, they have had enough of Gordon Brown and his failed team, of whom Ed Balls was the principal cheerleader.