Labour MP moved to Shadow Welsh Secretary in Keir Starmer reshuffle
A Labour MP Jo Stevens has been moved to Shadow Welsh Secretary in reshuffle of Keir Starmer’s top team.
The MP for Cardiff Central, has been moved from the post of Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport as the Labour leader rearranges is shadow cabinet.
The Times had reported earlier today that Stevens was “at risk of demotion”.
The move means Nia Griffith, the MP for Llanelli is no longer in the role of Shadow Secretary of State for Wales.
In a message on Twitter, Jo Stevens said: “I’m moving Shadow Cabinet jobs from DCMS to Wales. Its been a privilege to closely work with hugely talented people in the DCMS sector, the fastest growing before the pandemic & one of the hardest hit. I want to continue the great work of my friend @NiaGriffithMP in the new job”.
Responding to the appointment of Jo Stevens MP as Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, Welsh Labour Leader and First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “I want to pay tribute to Nia Griffith, who has been a strong advocate for Wales in her time as Shadow Secretary of State. Nia has been a leading voice in Parliament for Wales’ interests – from holding the Prime Minister to account over his promise to ‘passport’ Welsh flood money, to standing up for Welsh businesses and urging the UK Government to extend its furlough scheme, and so much more. I know she will continue to do so much for the communities she represents.”
‘Powerful voice’
He added: “Congratulations to Jo Stevens on her appointment as Shadow Secretary of State for Wales. Jo brings with her a wealth of experience, and I know she will be a powerful voice for our interests here in Wales, both inside and outside of the House of Commons.
“Our shared immediate priority is ensuring that Wales is best equipped to take on the emergence of the Omicron variant of Coronavirus. I know that Jo will stand up for Wales, and push the UK Government to ensure that Wales gets the resources we need to support families, businesses, and individuals as we continue to respond to the pandemic.”
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She will find it easy to eclipse Nia’s performance in that role. Aim higher Jo.
Nia sacked because of her faux pas about free school meals?
What’s most troubling is how being moved from ‘Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’ to ‘Wales’ is being viewed by some press as a demotion.
Shouldn’t Labour be saying “look at Wales. This is how we can listen to a population’s needs, act for those people and get it right” to the rest of the UK?
It’s the media that view it as demotion. Within Labour some will view it as positive although the Unionist Labour rump will also be negative.
Perhaps Welsh Labour is like Cymru itself, following the path to Independence
as it must to survive. Some of it’s MP’s will be leading interesting lives in the near future.