7th October 2011

Burnham returns as head of Labour health team

Former Health Secretary Andy Burnham (pictured) has replaced John Healey as shadow Health Secretary as the Party gears up to contest the coalition Government’s NHS reforms.

Burnham’s appointment follows Healey’s resignation in the wake of the decision by the Labour Party Conference to abandon cabinet (and shadow cabinet) elections.

The shadow cabinet reshuffle comes at a time when health policy is seen as a key priority for Labour in opposition.

Andy Burnham, MP for Leigh, was Health Secretary for the last six months of the previous Government, and was formerly Culture Secretary. He is currently shadow Education Secretary.

The Labour Party’s failure to stop the approval of the Health and Safety Bill by the House of Commons leaves it faced with major challenges in opposing an NHS overhaul that Burnham has called “unnecessary”.

John Healey’s resignation and that of shadow Business Secretary John Denham followed the Labour Party Conference’s approval of leader Ed Miliband’s call for the abolition of Party rules regarding shadow cabinet elections.

The new rules mean that the Party leader has personal control over the selection of the shadow cabinet (or in government, the cabinet).

John Healey, MP for Wentworth and Dearne, served as a Local Government Minister and a Housing Minister in the Brown administration.

In his resignation letter to Ed Miliband, Healey stated that family commitments were the reason for his resignation as shadow Health Minister.

The Health and Social Care Bill has been compared to the Poll Tax in its public unpopularity and potential risk for the Government. However, Liberal Democrat support for the revised Bill has left the Labour Party unable to build on the widespread opposition to it among the medical professions.