Labour MPs to vote on election of shadow cabinet ministers

Some fear move could be weapon in leadership contest and deepen divisions in PLP

Jeremy Corbyn backs reform of Labour party rules and structures (Getty)

Labour MPs are set to vote on a motion to reverse one of Ed Miliband’s reforms and reintroduce the elections of shadow cabinet ministers.

The motion proposed by Clive Betts, the Labour MP for Sheffield South East, is the first formal attempt to restore the elections. On Tuesday the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) will vote between 10am and 5pm on the issue in a secret ballot.

If the motion passes, it will then be up to Labour’s governing body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), to vote on the measure at their next meeting. It is understood that no one in the party spoke against or for the motion at the first meeting of the PLP after the summer recess.

The Independent understands, however, that the timing of the vote will be viewed as unfortunate by those on the left of the party. Some have suggested it could be used as a weapon in the leadership contest and risks deepening divisions in the PLP. They add that when Mr Corbyn was elected as leader in the autumn of 2015 he attempted, at the time, to create a broad-based shadow cabinet with representation from all sides of the party.

Until 2011, MPs in the Labour Party had cabinet elections each year while the party was in opposition but this was replaced with direct appointments by the former Labour leader ,Mr Miliband.

Tom Watson, Labour’s deputy leader, has previously called on the winner of Labour’s bitter leadership contest to re-establish the elections. “I think if Owen wins it’s still important to do it, because a new leader has got to reshape and rebuild the PLP, and that means giving respect and dignity back to a lot of colleagues,” he told the Guardian last month.

A spokesperson for the Labour leader added: “Jeremy supports democratisation and reform of the party rules and structures. How the shadow cabinet is made up is one part of the debate, including whether part of it should be elected, by MPs, by members, or by conference. Any review also needs to take account of the need to represent regions, nations, gender and ethnicity.

“If the motion to the PLP on Monday is passed, it will go to the NEC, and depending on what’s decided there to conference, and needs to be part of the wider debate about party democratisation and reform.”