Miliband wins control of shadow Cabinet
By Phil ScullionFollow @PhilScullion
Labour MPs have voted to give leader Ed Miliband the power to choose his own shadow Cabinet.
Under the previous system Labour's front bench was chosen every two years via a ballot of MPs when in opposition.
Of the 257 members of the parliamentary party 196 voted to change this, meaning the alterations will be put to the party at its annual conference in autumn.
The win is a victory for Mr Miliband, who had called the old rules "a legacy of Labour's past in opposition". After the result he said the vote was "excellent news".
"We have an important job to do in holding the government to account and preparing for the next election," he said.
"To do that job properly we need to spend our time talking to the public and not ourselves.
"Labour under my leadership will be a party that looks outwards and not inwards."
The enthusiasm among Labour MPs for the change is a significant about-turn considering that the same motion was rejected two-to-one just before Mr Miliband became leader.
Last week Mr Miliband told Labour's National Policy forum that the shadow Cabinet elections proved a distraction and warned against shadow ministers focusing more on jostling for position than winning general elections.
Instead of using shadow Cabinet elections to hold senior Labour MPs to account Mr Miliband is calling for a new "everyday accountability".
The proposals are part of a much deeper set of reforms which include an attempt to reduce the voting influence of trade unions at the Labour party conference.
