Staking his territory: Miliband exerts control over shadow Cabinet
By Ian Dunt Follow @IanDunt
Ed Miliband is trying to enhance his control over his shadow Cabinet, in a move which will be seen as an attempt to consolidate his position.
The Labour leader is trying to scrap a rule which ensures that MPs choose the team from which the shadow Cabinet is selected.
The move prompted a rare display of public admiration from his brother David, who tweeted that he was “grasping [the] nettle”.
The system does not apply when the party is in power but in opposition votes are held to list the most prized MPs and the leader then allocates positions from that list.
Mr Miliband believes the system is limiting and a distraction from attempts to hold the government to account.
“Shadow Cabinet elections represent a legacy of Labour’s past in opposition,” Mr Miliband wrote to Labour members.
“Our job must be to hold the government to account and to concentrate on preparing ourselves for the next election. We should not be distracted by internal elections where we spend time speaking to ourselves rather than the country.”
Critics are also likely to point to the performance of some members of his front bench team, who are understood to have disappointed the Labour leader with their low public profile.
It would also give Mr Miliband the power to fire his rivals and to reward loyal new-bloods who have caught his eye.
Those close to the Labour leader deny that the change is setting up a possible night-of-the-long-knives, but Mr Miliband has been known to act ruthlessly when called for, not least of all when he sacked Nick Brown as chief whip last year.
Labour MPs will debate and vote on the measure before it is considered by the party’s ruling national executive committee next month. It will then be put before the Labour party conference in Liverpool. All three stages are largely symbolic.
