Hove MP Peter Kyle has been promoted to the Labour shadow cabinet in a reshuffle today (Monday 29 November).
Sir Keir Starmer has given Mr Kyle the job of Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary, promoting from his previous post as Shadow Schools Minister.
He replaces Louise Haigh who made headlines earlier this month when she said that Labour should be neutral if there was referendum on Irish unity. She becomes the new Shadow Transport Secretary.
The reshuffle headlines nationally are expected to be dominated by the news that Yvette Cooper has been made Shadow Home Secretary.
Mr Kyle, 51, a former overseas aid worker, moved to Brighton and Hove 25 years ago and became the MP for Hove at the 2015 general election.
He has a doctorate from Sussex University and spent a spell as a ministerial special adviser when Labour was in government.
He joined the Labour front bench last year as Shadow Minister for Victims and Youth Justice when Sir Keir replaced Jeremy Corbyn as the party’s leader.
The Northern Ireland portfolio is his third brief in just over 18 months as Sir Keir looks to strengthen his team to take on Boris Johnson’s Tories.
One of the most capable and talented young politicians to emerge in the Labour Party for many a year.
Congratulations to Peter Kyle.
And congratulations to the voters of Hove for recognising his promise and potential.
The article says that he is 51. George Harrison was 27 when the Beatles ended.
Presumably his fetishisation of the military and Labour’s current view of foreign policy is why he’s been given this position. Definitely not a good sign for the peace process.
Oh, God, another Blairite warmonger.
Apart from supporting the Greenie Irish leader in Brighton, what does he bring to the role?
“Labour should be neutral if there was referendum on Irish unity”: WHAT WILL HE SAY IF ASKED?