Alan Whitehead has retained the post of shadow energy minister in Labour’s remodelled front bench Parliamentary team.
The Southampton MP has been appointed to an expanded portfolio covering energy and the Green New Deal by new Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who unveiled his first frontbench team this evening (9 April).
Whitehead will serve under ex-Labour leader Ed Miliband, who was appointed shadow secretary of state for business and energy earlier this week.
The inclusion of the Green New Deal in the portfolio of Whitehead, who has been shadow minister for energy and climate change since October 2016, underlines Sir Keir’s commitment to the policy initiative which was launched under his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn.
As part of the reshuffle, Whitehead’s responsibility for climate change has been split off into a separate portfolio held by Greenwich MP Matthew Pennycook.
Whitehead, who nominated Sir Keir to become leader, tweeted this evening that he was “delighted” to join the latter’s frontbench team.
The reshuffle has also seen Steph Peacock appointed floods minister although nobody has been specifically given the water portfolio.
Ex-shadow water minister Luke Pollard, who has been acting shadow environment secretary since the general election, was appointed to the role on a full-time basis in this week’s reshuffle.