New shadow ministerial role for South Shields MP

South shields MP Emma Lewell-Buck is a shadow minister again - three months after stepping down.
South Shields MP Emma Lewell-BuckSouth Shields MP Emma Lewell-Buck
South Shields MP Emma Lewell-Buck

Mrs Lewell-Buck stepped down from her role as Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government in June, shortly after abstaining from a vote of no confidence in leader Jeremy Corbyn.

At the time, she told the Gazette: “There were so few people left by the time I stepped down that if I’d stayed it would have sent the message that I was 110% behind Corbyn and his leadership and I wasn’t and I had to be true to myself.

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“I’ve got to look at myself in the mirror every day and I have to be true to what I believe in.

“If I’d stayed and someone had asked me if I thought he was going to win in the next General Election, I would have had to say no, and people would have thought I didn’t know where I was or what I was doing. I did what I thought was the right thing to do.”

But she took to Twitter to announce her return to a shadow ministerial post: “Really pleased to be joining @AngelaRayner’s Shadow Education team as Shadow Children & Families Minister.”

She was not available for further comment yesterday.

Jeremy Corbyn’s reshuffle of Labour’s frontbench team comes as predecessor Ed Miliband claimed there was now an “acceptance” of his leadership.

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The former Labour leader said there had been a change of attitude among MPs about Mr Corbyn following his re-election, despite the resignation of two whips following the sacking of their boss, Dame Rosie Winterton.

A series of senior MPs who quit in protest at Mr Corbyn’s leadership have returned to the fold.

Mr Miliband backed Mr Corbyn and said Labour could “absolutely” win a general election, just weeks after supporting Owen Smith for the leadership because he wanted someone who could make the party a “serious alternative government”.

He acknowledged there would not be “constant peace” within party ranks, but claimed the mood had shifted.