MPs vying for posts in Miliband’s shadow cabinet

LABOUR MPs are jostling for jobs in Ed Miliband’s shadow cabinet as attention shifts to the election of his top team.

The new leader said he wanted to make use of “all the talents from across our party”, but the reality is it is not up to him to decide who is in and who is out.

Now in opposition, Labour’s shadow cabinet is elected instead by a ballot of the 257 members of the parliamentary party, meaning those hoping for one of the 19 available positions must canvass their MP colleagues.

Nominations opened yesterday morning, with MPs having until 5pm on Wednesday to inform PLP secretary Martin O’Donovan that they want to stand.

Results will be declared at 9pm on Thursday, October 7.

The election of the shadow cabinet raises the prospect that some big hitters could miss out while Miliband may also have to put up with awkward MPs and dissent.

His power is limited to the allocation of specific positions – a task he will already be wrestling with as he begins to plot his course as leader.

Finding suitable roles for his brother David – should he choose to stand – and Ed Balls is arguably the trickiest task he must tackle.

As a former foreign secretary, anything less than shadow chancellor, the most important position by far after party leader, may look unappealing to David Miliband.

But Balls, as a former chief economic adviser to then chancellor Gordon Brown, also has a strong claim and is thought to desperately covet the keys to Number 11.