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Rebecca Long-Bailey appointed Shadow Education Secretary – Sector Response

Rebecca Long-Bailey appointed Shadow Education Secretary

Congratulations to Rebecca Long-Bailey (@RLong_Bailey) on her appointment as @UKLabour Shadow Education Secretary 

Keir Starmer has today (6 Apr) appointed his new Shadow Cabinet.

This is a gender-balanced Shadow Cabinet, with 17 women and 15 men. It has seven BAME members.

KevinCourtney100x100Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union; said:

“Congratulations to Rebecca Long-Bailey on being appointed as Shadow Education Secretary. At this time of national crisis it will be important for the official opposition to work with the Government and to hold Ministers to account to ensure that education professionals and children and young people are protected in these immensely difficult times. 

‘We look forward to working with the Shadow Education Secretary and politicians from across the political spectrum on fashioning the type of education service that will be fit for the twenty first century and after Covid-19. We can’t go back to an ‘exam factories’ view of education, with schools and colleges reeling from cut after cut, teachers, leaders and support staff feeling undervalued and the life chances of over 4 million children blighted by their being trapped in poverty”.

david hughes 100 x100David Hughes, Chief Executive, AoC said:

“Congratulations to Rebecca Long-Bailey in her new role as shadow Education Secretary. I am looking forward to working with her to support young people and adults to access the learning and training they need in colleges. I know that she recognises the unique role that colleges play in their communities and in the labour market. Education is central to tackling the huge issues of the day, from the NHS, reducing poverty to creating a sustainable and green future, colleges stand ready to work together to transform lives for the better.

“The current crisis has brought the best out of colleges which are doing so much to support their students and their communities, but they now need the long term investment which will help them thrive. Thriving colleges are needed for the future more than ever before to support the people, businesses and communities which will have been damaged during this crisis. They are also vital players in the wider education system which I know the Labour party wants to develop.”

 

 The positions in the Shadow Cabinet

  • 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 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
Tony Lloyd, Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary, has been hospitalised in Manchester Royal Infirmary with the coronavirus. During this period, Louise Haigh has been appointed interim Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary.
The following people have left the Shadow Cabinet:
  • Tracy Brabin
  • Richard Burgon
  • Dawn Butler
  • Dan Carden
  • Baroness Shami Chakrabarti
  • Peter Dowd
  • Barry Gardiner
  • Margaret Greenwood
  • Andrew Gwynne
  • Barbara Keeley
  • Ian Lavery
  • Rachael Maskell
  • Christina Rees
  • Jon Trickett
Further appointments to the shadow frontbench will be made over the coming days.

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