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Corbyn appoints all roles in Labour shadow cabinet

Jeremy Corbyn, elected leader of the Labour party on Saturday (12 September), has unveiled the first members of his shadow cabinet.

Two of the top jobs went to John McDonnell MP, who ran Corbyn’s campaign and has been named shadow chancellor, and Andy Burnham MP, the new shadow home secretary – who came a distant second in the leadership race.

Tom Watson was elected deputy leader of the Labour party on the same day that Corbyn’s victory was announced.

These roles mean that the five most senior shadow cabinet roles are now occupied by men, although Corbyn’s has committed to give at least half of the positions to women overall.

Jon Trickett MP, who has previously served as shadow minister in the Cabinet Office, has been appointed shadow communities secretary.

Other appointments have so far included Seema Malhotra MP as shadow chief secretary to the treasury; Angela Eagle MP as shadow business secretary and first secretary of state; Hilary Benn MP as shadow foreign secretary; Heidi Alexander MP as shadow health secretary; Rosie Winterton as Labour’s chief whip; Diane Abbott MP as shadow international development secretary; and Lucy Powell MP as shadow education secretary.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton will continue as shadow lord chancellor and justice secretary, Vernon Coaker MP becomes shadow Northern Ireland secretary, and Ian Murray MP, Labour’s last remaining MP in Scotland, as shadow Scotland secretary.

Following Corbyn’s election, in which he scooped 59% of votes, other leadership candidates Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall announced they would not serve in his shadow cabinet – though Cooper will chair a new party taskforce on refugees.

According to Iain McNicol, Labour’s general secretary, the party has seen 15,500 new members sign up in the 24 hours following the election results.

Among Corbyn’s policies, perceived as hard left by most politicians, was a pledge to reverse the housing crisis through a “radical” systemic reboot.

He plans to give councils the tools to build and provide homes in order to meet their local affordable housing demands.

He was one of 48 Labour members who defied the party whip by voting against the government’s welfare reform bill, saying there is “absolutely no reason why anyone should have to live in poverty” in one of the “richest countries in the world”.

This also means opposing austerity and planning to bring down the deficit by growing the economy and taxing the rich instead – although he says there is already £120bn in uncollected tax debt, tax avoidance and tax evasion every year that must be addressed.

Corbyn also intends to renationalise energy companies and the railway to bring prices down and back into public hands, dismissing privatisation as a “false market”.

His views on privatisation extend to healthcare as he plans to “fully fund” the NHS and integrate its services with social care, as well as tackle the “mental health crisis”.

Below is a full list of shadow cabinet appointments:

• Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party: Jeremy Corbyn MP
• Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Party Chair and Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office: Tom Watson MP
• Shadow First Secretary of State, Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills: Angela Eagle MP
• Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer: John McDonnell MP
• Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury: Seema Malhotra MP
• Shadow Home Secretary: Andy Burnham MP
• Shadow Foreign Secretary: Hilary Benn MP
• Opposition Chief Whip: Rosie Winterton MP
• Shadow Secretary of State for Health: Heidi Alexander MP
• Shadow Secretary of State for Education: Lucy Powell MP
• Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions: Owen Smith MP
• Shadow Secretary of State for Defence: Maria Eagle MP
• Shadow Lord Chancellor, Shadow Secretary of State for Justice: Lord Falconer of Thoroton
• Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Shadow Minister for the Constitutional Convention: Jon Trickett MP
• Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change: Lisa Nandy MP
• Shadow Leader of the House of Commons: Chris Bryant MP
• Shadow Secretary of State for Transport: Lilian Greenwood MP
• Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland: Vernon Coaker MP
• Shadow Secretary of State for International Development: Diane Abbott MP
• Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland: Ian Murray MP
• Shadow Secretary of State for Wales: Nia Griffith MP
• Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Kerry McCarthy MP
• Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities: Kate Green MP
• Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport: Michael Dugher MP
• Shadow Minister for Young People and Voter Registration: Gloria De Piero MP
• Shadow Minister for Mental Health: Luciana Berger MP
• Shadow Leader of the House of Lords: Baroness Smith of Basildon
• Lords Chief Whip: Lord Bassam of Brighton
• Shadow Attorney General: Catherine McKinnell MP
• Shadow Minister without Portfolio: Jonathan Ashworth MP
• Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning: John Healey MP

(Top image c. Niall Carson, PA Images)