Sadiq Khan MP
Sadiq Khan MP
Ed Miliband MP, Leader of the Labour Party, has appointed Sadiq Khan, MP for Tooting, as Shadow Minister for London with a seat in the Shadow Cabinet; and Gareth Thomas, MP for Harrow West, as Deputy Shadow Minister for London.
Sadiq Khan remains as Shadow Justice Secretary.
Ed Miliband MP said: “I am delighted to appoint Sadiq Khan as Shadow Minister for London, replacing Tessa Jowell who did a brilliant job for many years until standing down after the Olympics.
“Sadiq, together with Gareth Thomas as his deputy, will both play incredibly important roles in holding the Conservative Mayor Boris Johnson to account, as well as building towards the London Local Elections in 2014, the General Election in 2015 and the Mayoral contest in 2016.
“These are big jobs and both Sadiq and Gareth will do them with determination, energy and ability.”
Sadiq Khan MP said: “It’s an enormous privilege to be asked by Ed Miliband to take on this crucial job. Being Shadow Minister for London, where my constituency is, where I live, where I grew up – is a daunting challenge, but one that I relish. London is the most amazing dynamic place, home to millions of people of different nationalities, races and cultures, but it’s also a city of huge contrasts. I’m proud to call it my home.
“Tessa Jowell has set a very high standard and is an amazingly hard act to follow. I pay tribute to the work Tessa has done on behalf of London, reaching the ultimate pinnacle of the magnificent Olympics last summer. She leaves a very proud legacy, and one I am excited about being entrusted with."
Gareth Thomas MP stated that: “I relish taking on this challenging role, working closely with Sadiq as well as the other London Labour MPs, hardworking councillors and Assembly Members in holding Boris Johnson and the Tory-led Government to account.
“Given London is set to lose a vast number of police officers, not to mention the detrimental impact the policies from this Tory-led Government are having on a daily basis on ordinary Londoners, this is a big job and I look forward to taking it up.”