Friday 7 October 2011

Labour appoint new Shadow Energy Secretary

Meg Hillier has been dropped as Shadow Energy and Climate Change Secretary and replaced by Caroline Flint, MP for Don Valley. Labour leader Ed Miliband was able to reshuffle his shadow cabinet following a rule change which means the shadow cabinet is no longer elected by a ballot of the party's MPs.

Meg Hillier has come under increasing criticism for not taking enough action following a year in which energy bills mushroomed and Energy Secretary Chris Huhne was in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

The Labour leader said: "I am determined that my Shadow Cabinet not only holds this Government to account but speaks to the public and the country."

Flint served as Minister for Europe in Gordon Brown's cabinet before resigning from government in June 2009.