News / Politics
Bristol West MP Thangam Debbonaire joins shadow cabinet
Labour leader Keir Starmer has appointed a Bristol MP to his first shadow cabinet.
Bristol West MP Thangam Debbonaire is the new shadow housing secretary, with a portfolio that will include carrying out Starmer’s pre-election commitment “to a new generation of council and social homes in every community”.
Under former leader Jeremy Corbyn, Debbonaire was a whip responsible for party discipline and was also briefly shadow Brexit minister.
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Reacting to her appointment on Twitter, the former professional cellist and keen knitter said that she was “very pleased” with her new appointment.
She said: “I’m wistful to be leaving @labourwhips but to serve the country and the Labour party in the Shadow Cabinet is a huge honour and I’m proud to be getting on with the work already.”
https://twitter.com/rhodri/status/1111609409405366273
Announcing the appointments to his shadow cabinet on Monday, Starmer said he was “proud” of his shadow cabinet, saying it “showcases the breadth, depth and talents of the Labour Party”.
Starmer added: “This is a new team that will be relentlessly focused on acting in the national interest to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and rebuilding Labour so that it can win the next election.”
Eddie Izzard, Thangam Debbonaire and Labour canvassers in Montpelier before the 2017 general election – photo: Labour Party
Here is the full shadow cabinet:
- 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 & industrial Secretary
- Emily Thornberry, shadow international trade secretary
- Jonathan Reynolds, shadow work & pensions secretary
- Jonathan Ashworth, shadow secretary of state for health & social care
- Rebecca Long-Bailey, shadow education secretary
- Jo Stevens, shadow digital, culture, media & sport
- Bridget Philipson, shadow chief secretary to the treasury
- Luke Pollard, shadow environment, food & rural affairs secretary
- Steve Reed, shadow communities & 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 & equalities secretary
- Andy McDonald, shadow employment rights & protections secretary
- Rosena Allin-Khan, shadow minister for mental health
- Cat Smith, shadow minister for young people & 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
Main photo courtesy of Thangam Debbonaire
Read more: Labour members in Bristol react to Starmer’s election as leader
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