Newly Elected Leader of Labour Party Announces Main Shadow Secretaries

New Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn announced main shadow secretaries.

LONDON (Sputnik) — On Sunday, Jeremy Corbyn, the newly elected leader of the UK Labour party, started to announce main shadow secretaries.

Hilary Benn has been appointed as the UK shadow foreign secretary.

© Flickr / Bob Peters

Benn has served as the shadow secretary for environment, the shadow secretary of state for communities and local government, and the shadow leader of the House of Commons.

Andy Burnham has been appointed as the UK shadow home secretary.

© Flickr / Financial Times

Burnham has previously served as the shadow health secretary.

Former Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Corbyn's rival in the Labour Party leadership race, decided to quit the Shadow Cabinet shortly after Corbyn’s victory.

Corbyn has appointed the former shadow secretary of state for defence, Vernon Coaker, as the shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland.

© AFP 2023 / LEON NEAL

On Friday, UK Prime Minister David Cameron said London would not interfere in a political crisis in Northern Ireland, triggered by the suspected re-emergence of the outlawed Irish Republican Army (IRA) and its influence in politics.

Discussions on resolving the crisis within the Northern Ireland Assembly are expected to resume this week. Coaker is due to discuss the situation in the region with Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Theresa Villiers.

Jeremy Corbyn has appointed Member of Parliament John McDonnell as the shadow chancellor of the exchequer.

© AFP 2023 / CHRIS YOUNG

McDonnell, not a well-known politician in the United Kingdom, has never served as a state secretary in the Shadow Cabinet.