Ed Miliband drew on the wisdom of about 80 years of top-table political experience before pressing ahead with a controversial reform that will allow him to hand-pick his own Shadow Cabinet, The Times has learnt.
In a sign that the Labour leader is keen to learn from the party’s best political brains, his team confirmed last night that he had raised the idea of abolishing Shadow Cabinet elections in consultation with Jack Straw, Margaret Beckett, David Blunkett and Alistair Darling.
The former Cabinet ministers met Mr Miliband to discuss the proposal early last week. They were aware of the idea days before current Shadow Cabinet members, who were told last Friday. It is understood that the four unanimously told their leader to press ahead with his plan.
A source close to Mr Miliband confirmed that the meeting had taken place. “He took soundings from them,” the source said. Mr Miliband’s decision to consult senior figures in his party will fuel speculation about the future make-up of his shadow Cabinet.
His current team was criticised by Lord Mandelson for being too homogeneous and unrepresentative of the nation. While he is in no rush to appoint a new team, it is understood that he will look at bringing in talent from the 2010 intake of new MPs as well as calling upon experienced campaigners to return to frontline politics.
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The attempt to abolish Shadow Cabinet elections, which will be put to a vote of Labour MPs on Tuesday, came as a surprise to many MPs. It will have to be formally agreed by party members at Labour’s annual conference in September.
The reform was immediately interpreted as an attempt by Mr Miliband to assert his authority. Previous leaders, including Tony Blair, had not attempted to free themselves of the decades-old tradition.
Mr Miliband’s proposal has met with almost universal support. Senior party figures are already talking about the vote as “a walkover”, as MPs have no appetite to oppose the change. Only those on the far left of the party, such as John McDonnell, have voiced their opposition.
The mood was summed up at a meeting of Labour MPs on Monday when the arch-Blairite Hazel Blears and Michael Meacher, a left-winger, found themselves speaking in favour of the reform. “It was very memorable to see them on the same side,” said one MP. “Both were rather surprised to be.”
Mr Miliband’s team insisted yesterday that although they believed that they would win the vote among MPs, the result would be closer than many thought.
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“It was not that long ago that the Labour Party voted to keep Shadow Cabinet elections,” said one. “It will not be as easy as people seem to believe.”