Wolverhampton MP given key General Election role in Sir Keir Starmer's Labour reshuffle

The former shadow Treasury chief secretary, who has represented his constituency since 2005, has also been appointed shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, which is the second highest ranking member of the cabinet.

Mr McFadden told the Express & Star his party's leader phoned him this morning offering him the two positions.

He said: "I am very pleased with the position of national election co-ordinator. I look forward to working with my different Labour colleagues from across the country in the role."

Labour supporters will be hoping Mr McFadden can help return them to power and end the Conservatives' 13-year grip on power.

Mr McFadden said: "The next election comes at a very important time for the country. And I hope to help Labour chart a course to ensure we will be in a position to make a positive change for the country."

One of Mr McFadden's first jobs will be to ensure Labour polls well in the Mid Bedfordshire by-election sparked by the resignation of Nadine Dorries as an MP. The by-election will be held in mid-October and will probably be the last time voters can go to the polls before next year.

Like the rest of the country, Mr McFadden remains in the dark when the General Election will be. As the 2009 General Election was unusually held in December the Prime Minister could wait until January 2025 to go to the country, however, most observers believe it will be October at the latest.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is one of UK politics oldest positions, with the role stretching back to 1361 when Henry de Haydock was appointed by King Henry III. Currently the minister holding the role is second highest ranking member of the Cabinet behind the Prime Minister.

Oliver Dowden MP is the current Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and previous incumbents include Winston Churchill, and since September 2021 duties have been expanded to include policy development, particularly around Brexit and other constitutional affairs.

Mr McFadden added: "I think the election role will take the lion's share of the two roles. But the shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster role is basically shadowing the cabinet office.

"And if we do win the election we need to ensure the government machine can be relied on to deliver the manifesto policies we will have made at the election. We will want to be able to implement the policies as efficiently as possible."

Mr McFadden takes over the co-ordinator role from Birmingham Ladywood MP Shabana Mahmood who has been promoted to shadow justice secretary. Mr McFadden will leaves his shadow Treasury chief secretary, after several successes which impressed his leader Sir Keir.

Other changes include deputy leader Angela Rayner appointed shadow levelling up secretary, taking over from Lisa Nandy, who Sir Keir beat in the leadership election in 2020.

Miss Nandy has been appointed shadow cabinet minister for international development which will be seen as a demotion as she no longer directly shadows a secretary of state.

She takes the role from Steve Reed, who moves to shadow secretary for environment, food and rural affairs.

The promotion for Ms Mahmood, a key ally to Labour leader Sir Keir, is understood to be a reward for reorganising how the party campaigns and overseeing by-election and local election successes, despite the Tories winning the Uxbridge by-election in July.

A Labour source said: "This promotion is recognition of the integral role Shabana has played in transforming the Labour Party as national campaign co-ordinator."