Ed Miliband became Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition upon being elected to the former post on 25 September 2010. The election was triggered by Gordon Brown's resignation following the party's fall from power at the 2010 general election, which yielded a Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition. Miliband appointed his first Shadow Cabinet in October 2010, following the Labour Party's Shadow Cabinet elections. These elections were the last such elections before they were abolished in 2011.
Miliband conducted two major reshuffles in 2011 and 2013, with a number of minor changes throughout his term.
Following the 2015 general election and Miliband's resignation, acting leader Harriet Harman announced a new shadow cabinet to last until the election of a new party leader in September 2015.
Initial Shadow Cabinet
Miliband announced his first Shadow Cabinet on 8 October 2010 following the 2010 Shadow Cabinet elections. Under the party rules, as amended in 2010, the Shadow Cabinet comprised the Leader, the Deputy Leader, the Leader of the Labour Peers, the Chief Whips in both houses, and 19 MPs elected by the Parliamentary Labour Party.
Ed Miliband – Leader of Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party
Harriet Harman – Deputy Leader of Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition, Shadow Deputy Prime Minister, Shadow Secretary of State for International Development and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party
Alan Johnson – Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
Yvette Cooper – Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
Ed Balls – Shadow Secretary of State for the Home Department
Rosie Winterton – Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Commons
Andy Burnham – Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Election Coordinator
Sadiq Khan – Shadow Lord Chancellor and Shadow Secretary of State for Justice (with responsibility for political and constitutional reform)
Liam Byrne – Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
John Denham – Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
John Healey – Shadow Secretary of State for Health
Caroline Flint – Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Jim Murphy – Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
Meg Hillier – Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
Hilary Benn – Shadow Leader of the House of Commons and Shadow Lord Privy Seal
Maria Eagle – Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
Mary Creagh – Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Angela Eagle – Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Shaun Woodward – Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Ann McKechin – Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
Peter Hain – Shadow Secretary of State for Wales
Ivan Lewis – Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon – Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords
Liam Byrne – Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office
Tessa Jowell – Shadow Minister for the Olympics
Lord Bassam of Brighton – Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Lords
Baroness Scotland of Asthal – Shadow Attorney General
Also attending Shadow Cabinet meetings:
Jon Trickett – Shadow Minister of State for the Cabinet Office
20 January 2011: Johnson resigned as Shadow Chancellor and was replaced by Ed Balls, who was replaced by Cooper as Shadow Home Secretary. She (while remaining Shadow Equalities Minister) was succeeded as Shadow Foreign Secretary by Alexander, whom Byrne replaced as Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary. Jowell took Byrne's role as Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, while retaining her role as Shadow Olympics Minister.
On 7 October 2011, Miliband conducted a major reshuffle of his Shadow Cabinet. This followed the Labour Party Conference at which delegates voted to allow the party leader to choose the membership of the Shadow Cabinet, eliminating elections by MPs. Healey chose to stand down from frontline politics and was replaced as Shadow Health Secretary by Andy Burnham, whose Education portfolio went to Stephen Twigg, a newcomer to the Shadow Cabinet, and whose responsibilities as Election Co-ordinator went to Tom Watson, also new to the Shadow Cabinet and who also was given the title "Deputy Chair of the Labour Party". Denham chose to stand down from the Business portfolio, becoming Miliband's Parliamentary Private Secretary. He was replaced by new Shadow Minister of State for Small Business, Chuka Umunna.
Harman and Lewis swapped substantive portfolios (International Development to Lewis and Culture to Harman). Trickett took primary responsibility for shadowing the Cabinet Office from Jowell. The latter retained her position in the Shadow Cabinet as well as her roles as Shadow Minister for London and for the Olympics. Woodward (Northern Ireland) and McKechin (Scotland) were both left out of the Shadow Cabinet, being replaced by newcomers: Vernon Coaker and Margaret Curran, respectively.
Hillier left the Shadow Cabinet, and was replaced at the Energy portfolio by Flint. She was in turn replaced at Communities and Local Government by Benn, whose role as Shadow Leader of the House went to Angela Eagle. She was replaced as Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury by Rachel Reeves, who was new to the Shadow Cabinet. Hain retained his responsibilities and was named Chair of the National Policy Forum. Byrne likewise retained his portfolio and added "Policy Review Co-ordinator", reflecting work he had already taken on.
Additionally, Emily Thornberry replaced Baroness Scotland as Shadow Attorney General, with the right to attend Shadow Cabinet, but not full membership. Three others obtained the right to attend Shadow Cabinet: Lord Wood of Anfield retained his role as a Shadow Minister without Portfolio on the Shadow Cabinet Office team (i.e., the Opposition equivalent of the Cabinet Office). Michael Dugher also became a Shadow Minister without Portfolio with the right to attend Shadow Cabinet meetings. Liz Kendall was appointed Shadow Minister for Care and Older People with the right to attend Shadow Cabinet.
Finally, the Shadow Cabinet list announced on the day of the reshuffle did not note Khan, the Shadow Justice Secretary, as having "responsibility for political and constitutional reform" as it previously had. It is not clear whether he retained this responsibility or it transferred to Harman, whose title has been listed as "Shadow Deputy Prime Minister" instead of "Deputy Leader of the Opposition"; Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, was the Government minister with responsibility for political and constitutional reform.
Ed Miliband – Leader of Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party
Harriet Harman – Shadow Deputy Prime Minister, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and Labour Party Chair
Ed Balls – Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
Douglas Alexander – Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Yvette Cooper – Shadow Secretary of State for the Home Department and Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
Sadiq Khan – Shadow Lord Chancellor and Shadow Secretary of State for Justice
Rosie Winterton – Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Commons
Andy Burnham – Shadow Secretary of State for Health
Stephen Twigg – Shadow Secretary of State for Education
Chuka Umunna – Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
Jim Murphy – Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
Hilary Benn – Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Angela Eagle – Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Rachel Reeves – Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Caroline Flint – Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
Tessa Jowell – Shadow Minister for London and Shadow Minister for the Olympics
Maria Eagle – Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
Liam Byrne – Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Policy Review Co-ordinator
Ivan Lewis – Shadow Secretary of State for International Development
Mary Creagh – Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Jon Trickett – Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office
Tom Watson – Deputy Chair of the Labour Party and Campaign Coordinator
Vernon Coaker – Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Margaret Curran – Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
Peter Hain – Shadow Secretary of State for Wales and Chair of the National Policy Forum
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon – Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords
Lord Bassam of Brighton – Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Lords
Also attending Shadow Cabinet meetings:
Liz Kendall – Shadow Minister for Care and Older People
Michael Dugher – Shadow Minister without Portfolio
Emily Thornberry – Shadow Attorney General
Lord Wood of Anfield – Shadow Minister without Portfolio
On 15 May 2012, following the resignation of Peter Hain as Shadow Welsh Secretary, Miliband conducted a mini-reshuffle: Owen Smith was appointed to replace Hain, while Jon Cruddas replaced Liam Byrne as Policy Review Co-ordinator.
On 11 September 2012, Dame Tessa Jowell left the shadow cabinet, after saying she planned to retire from frontline politics.
On 7 October 2013, Ed Miliband carried out a reshuffle of his front bench team. The moves included demotions of prominent Blairites including Jim Murphy, who went from Defence to International Development, and Ivan Lewis who moved from International Development to the shadow Northern Ireland portfolio. Also, Liam Byrne and Stephen Twigg moved respectively from Work and Pensions and from Education to junior shadow ministerial positions at Business and Education. Prominent promotions included Tristram Hunt to Education, Rachel Reeves to Work and Pensions, Vernon Coaker to Defence, and Chris Leslie to Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Douglas Alexander was appointed Chair of General Election Strategy and Planning.
Ed Miliband – Leader of Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party
Harriet Harman – Shadow Deputy Prime Minister, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and Labour Party Chair
Ed Balls – Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
Douglas Alexander – Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Chair of the General Election Strategy and Planning
Yvette Cooper – Shadow Secretary of State for the Home Department and Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
Sadiq Khan – Shadow Lord Chancellor and Shadow Secretary of State for Justice
Rosie Winterton – Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Commons
Andy Burnham – Shadow Secretary of State for Health
Tristram Hunt – Shadow Secretary of State for Education
Chuka Umunna – Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
Vernon Coaker – Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
Jim Murphy – Shadow Secretary of State for International Development
Hilary Benn – Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Angela Eagle – Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Rachel Reeves – Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Caroline Flint – Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
Mary Creagh – Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
Maria Eagle – Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Chris Leslie – Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Margaret Curran – Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
Ivan Lewis – Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Owen Smith – Shadow Secretary of State for Wales
Gloria De Piero – Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
Michael Dugher – Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office and Head of Communications
Jon Trickett – Shadow Minister without Portfolio and Deputy Party Chair
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon – Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
Also attending Shadow Cabinet meetings:
Emma Reynolds – Shadow Minister for Housing
Liz Kendall – Shadow Minister for Care and Older People
Emily Thornberry – Shadow Attorney General
Jon Cruddas – Chair of the Labour Party Policy Review
Lord Wood of Anfield – Shadow Minister without Portfolio
Lord Bassam of Brighton – Labour Chief Whip in the House of Lords
On 2 November 2014, Jim Murphy resigned as Shadow International Development Secretary to campaign for the leadership of the Scottish Labour Party. Subsequently, on 5 November, a number of changes to the composition of the shadow cabinet were announced: Shadow Transport Secretary Mary Creagh replaced Murphy at International Development, who was replaced by Michael Dugher, hitherto the Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office; he was in turn replaced by Lucy Powell.
On 20 November 2014, Emily Thornberry resigned as Shadow Attorney General following a backlash resulting from her sending of a controversial tweet. Lord Bach was named as her replacement on 3 December.
