Alan Johnson, a former union leader who was a Labour Party cabinet minister under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, has been named shadow chancellor in the UK.
Mr Johnson (60) who was home secretary until Labour lost power in May, topped the list of shadow Cabinet appointments announced today in a statement by newly elected leader Ed Miliband.
Mr Johnson, a former postman, is a surprise choice for the job, which was expected to be filled by either Ed Balls or his wife Yvette Cooper. He will challenge Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne as the coalition government embarks on the deepest budget cuts since World War II.
Ed Balls has been appointed shadow home secretary while Yvette Cooper, who topped the
ballot of Labour MPs for the shadow cabinet, is shadow foreign secretary.
Mr Johnson faces the first test in his new role on October 20, when Mr Osborne sets out the results of his spending review.
Other key appointments were another defeated leadership candidate Andy Burnham as shadow education secretary, Jim Murphy as shadow defence secretary and deputy leader Harriet Harman as shadow international development secretary.
Agencies