Jonathan Ashworth has been announced as the new shadow secretary of state for health.
He was previously shadow minister without a portfolio. According to the Guardian, Jeremy Corbyn has asked the MP for Leicester South to give up his seat on the NEC (the party’s national executive committee) in return for the promotion.
Mr Ashworth was elected in 2011, having been an adviser to Gordon Brown and head of party relations for Ed Miliband.
He tweeted that ‘The NHS was and still is Labour’s greatest achievement’ and that Labour will be ‘campaigning hard’.
The NHS was and still is Labour’s greatest achievement. On the brink of crisis under the Tories & going backwards. We’ll be campaigning hard
— Jonathan Ashworth MP (@JonAshworth) October 7, 2016
He replaces Diane Abbott, who has been promoted to shadow home secretary. She was appointed as shadow secretary of state for health in June.
