Who's Who - Shadow Cabinet

The Shadow Cabinet consists of only Labour MPs. It is the Shadow Cabinet's job to criticise and challenge the policies and actions of the leading government, including the likes of Tory Prime Minister David Cameron. Here's a list of the members and their roles. Why not check the links for recent news updates, it may just help you to learn about their past history and present position in politics...

 David Miliband MP (Labour)Role: Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party.Education: Studied PPE at Oxford and at the London School of Economics.Political Career: Elected MP for Doncaster North since 2005. Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change from 2008 to 2010.  Leader of the Labour Party since 2010 having won against his brother.Extra Information: Click for the Miliband fact file Harriet Harman MP (Labour)Role: Shadow Deputy Prime Minister and Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.Education: Studied Politics at the University of York.Political Career: Elected MP for for Camberwell and Peckham in 1982. She was Secretary of State for Social Security and was Minister of State in the Department for Constitutional Affairs. Also she was Leader of the House of Commons in Brown's Cabinet.Extra Information: Click for Harman's Background and history in politics       Ed Balls MP (Labour)Role: Shadow Chancellor of the ExchequerEducation:Studied PPE at Oxford as well as Harvard in Economics.Political Career: Elected MP for Morley and Outwood, West Yorkshire in 2005. He was the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families from 2005 to 2010.Extra Information: Click for Ed Ball's in the NEWS Douglas Alexander MP (Labour)Role: Shadow Foreign Secretary and Chair of General Election Strategy.Education: Studied Politics and Modern History at the University of EdinburghPolitical Career: Elected MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South in 1997. He was Secretary of State for Transport and Secretary of State of Scotland from 2006 to 2007. He then became Secretary of State for International Development from 2007 to 2010.Extra Information: Alexander in the NEWS Yvette Cooper MP (Labour)Role: Shadow Home SecretaryEducation: Studied PPE at Oxford and studied at Harvard.Political Career: Elected MP for Normanton, Pontefract & Castleford  in 1997. She was Chief Secretary to the Treasury in 2008 and then became Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.Extra Information: Cooper News Update Sadiq Khan MP (Labour)Role: Shadow Lord Chancellor, Secretary of State for Justice and Shadow Minister for London.Education: Studied Law at the University of North LondonPolitical Career: Elected MP for Tooting in 2005. He was Minister of State for Transport in 2005 before becoming Shadow Secretary of State for Transport in 2010.Extra Information: Who is Sadiq Khan? Andy Burnham MP (Labour) Role: Shadow Secretary of State for Health.Education: Studied English at Cambridge.Political Career: Elected MP for Leigh since 2001. He was Chief Secretary to the Treasury in 2007 before he became Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in 2008 and then became Secretary of State for Health in 2009.Extra Information: What's Burnham saying about health? Chuka Umunna MP (Labour)Role: Shadow Secretary of State for Business, innovation and Skills.Education: Studied Law at the University of Manchester.Political Career: Elected MP for Streatham in 2010. Extra Information: More background on Umunna  Rachel Reeves MP (Labour)Role: Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.Education: Studied PPE at Oxford.Political Career: Elected MP for Leeds in 2010. Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury in 2011.Extra Information: Recent news and background history Tristram Hunt MP (Labour)Role: Shadow Secretary of State for Education.Education: Studied History at Cambridge.Political Career: Elected MP for Stoke-on-Trent central in 2010.Extra Information: Check Hunt's profile for recent stories in the news Vernon Coaker MP (Labour)Role: Shadow Secretary of State of Defence.Education: Studied Politics and Economics at Warwick.Political Career: Elected MP for Gedling since 1997 (safe seat, evidently).  Minister of State for the Home Office from 2008 to 2009 before becoming Minister of State for Schools and Learning between 2009 and 2010.Extra Information: Wiki Hilary Benn MP (Labour)Role: Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.Education: Studied Eastern European Studies and Russia at University of Sussex.Political Career: Elected MP in 1999. Secretary of State for International Development from 2003 to 2007 as well as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural affairs.Extra Information: Benn's Background Caroline Flint MP (Labour)Role: Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change.Education: Studied American Literature, History and Film Studies at the University of East Anglia.Political Career: Elected MP in 1997. She was Minister for Public Health  from 2005 to 2007, the Minister for Employment from 2007 to 2008, the Minister for housing and planning in 2008, and as the Minister for Europe from 2008 to 2009. She also became Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.Extra Information: Profile and most recent news Mary Creagh MP (Labour)Role: Shadow Secretary of State for Transport.Education: Studied Modern Languages at Oxford and European Studies at the London School of Economics.Political Career: Elected MP in 2005. Appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.Extra Information: Creagh's news updates Ivan Lewis MP (Labour)Role: Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.Education: Studied at Bury College.Political Career: Elected MP for in 1997. Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Sports and Media in 2010 and Shadow Secretary of State for International Development.Extra Information: Lewis in the news Jim Murphy MP (Labour)Role: Shadow Secretary of State for International Development.Education: Studied Politics and European Law at the University of Strathclyde.Political Career: Elected MP for Renfrewshire East in 1997. Secretary of State for Scotland in 2008, Shadow Secretary of State for Defence since 2010.Extra Information: Murphy Update Margeret Curran MP (Labour)Role: Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland.Education:  Studied at the University of Strathclyde.Political Career: Elected MP for Glasgow East in 2010.Extra Information: Electoral history Maria Eagle MP (Labour)Role: Shadow secretary of Setae for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.Education: Studied  PPE at Oxford.Political Career: Elected MP for Wallasey since 1997.  Shadow Secretary of State for Transport in 2010.Extra Information: Recent news and fact file