Labour’s new top team consists of 14 MPs who ascribe to the Christian faith.
A week after being elected as Jeremy Corbyn’s replacement, Keir Starmer has chosen his shadow cabinet – the MPs who will speak and work on specific topics.
In a team of 98 there are fourteen politicians who are members of Christians on the Left, which is affiliated with the Labour party.
On the front bench is Jonathan Reynolds, chair of Christians on the Left and the new shadow work and pensions secretary.
A broad church of people join him, including David Lammy and Marsha De Cordova.
Bridget Phillipson, a Roman Catholic, and Cat Smith, a Methodist who says her faith led to her involvement in politics, are the shadow chief secretary to the treasury and minister for young people respectively.
Jonathan Reynolds will also be supported by Labour peer and Anglican curate Maeve Sherlock as a shadow minister in the Department for Work and Pensions.
Janet Daby, who became MP for Lewisham East through a by-election in 2018, will become the new shadow minister for faiths, saying on Twitter she was delighted.
Stephen Doughty is the shadow minister for Africa; Alex Cunningham will cover the courts and Rachael Maskell will be take on the portfolio for the charity sector. Sharon Hodgson, Wes Streeting, Conor McGinn and Emma Hardy are also all members who are in the Labour team
Other MPs promoted include Ed Miliband and Rosenna Allin-Khan, with former leadership hopefuls Lisa Nandy and Rebecca Long-Bailey included too.
Also in is Jess Philips, who recently told Premier she was grateful for the work of faith communities helping women exploited in sex work.
Happy Good Friday, I cannot thank the churches and Christian organisations in my constituency and the city enough at the moment, wish I could join you as normal this weekend for celebration and fetes but instead we will keep on working and will save our celebrations. Thank you.
— Jess Phillips MP (@jessphillips) April 10, 2020
Once he was elected, the new leader Keir Starmer met with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, commending his leadership in the coronavirus pandemic.
Thank you for your time this morning.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) April 8, 2020
The church has shown real leadership and compassion by following social distancing guidelines and closing its churches. This is a difficult decision that I know has not been taken lightly but it will save lives - thank you. https://t.co/f0lo8aCQwL
