The Co-operative Party

Several Co-operative MPs, including some elected to Parliament in 2010, have featured prominently in Ed Miliband’s reshuffle of the shadow frontbench team over the weekend.

Joining Ed Balls MP and Lord Steve Bassam in Shadow Cabinet will be Stephen Twigg, Labour & Co-operative MP for Liverpool West Derby since 2010 and now Shadow Education Secretary. Stephen served as a Schools Minister in the Government of 2001- 2005. Following his appointment Stephen said, “Education is my passion, so I was absolutely delighted to have been appointed as the Shadow Education Secretary. Week after week since my election in 2010, I have been visiting schools across my constituency. Improving education for all children is crucial for the future of the country.”

Gareth Thomas MP, Chair of the Co-operative Party, has joined the Cabinet Office team as Shadow Minister for Civil Society. He was a minister of state at the former Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and at the Department for International Development under the last Labour government. Following Ed Miliband’s election as leader, he became shadow minister for higher education and science until his latest appointment. This position covers co-operatives, community interest companies and social enterprises, and Gareth follows in the footsteps of former Co-operative MPs Phil Hope and Angela Smith who held the portfolio when Labour was in Government.

Elsewhere in the reshuffle, Co-operative MPs and peers continue to hold positions in a broad range of areas. Jonathan Reynolds MP is now PPS to the Leader of the Opposition alongside John Denham. Cathy Jamieson MP and Stella Creasy MP have joined the Treasury and Home Office frontbench teams respectively.

A full list is below:

Treasury
Rt Hon Ed Balls MP
Chris Leslie MP
Cathy Jamieson MP

Home Office
Stella Creasy MP

Defence
Gemma Doyle MP

Energy and Climate Change
Tom Greatrex MP
Luciana Berger MP
Rt Hon Baroness Angela Smith 

Health
Baroness Glenys Thornton

Education
Stephen Twigg MP

Transport
John Woodcock MP

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Gavin Shuker MP

Cabinet Office
Gareth Thomas MP

Equalities Office
Baroness Glenys Thornton

Northern Ireland
Rt Hon Baroness Angela Smith

Whips Office
House of Commons Whips
Mark Hendrick MP
Jon Ashworth MP

House of Lords
Chief Whip
Rt Hon Lord (Steve) Bassam of Brighton

Whips
Lord Tommy McAvoy