 On 24 June 2011 , it was reported that Miliband was seeking to change the decades @-@ old rule that Labour 's Shadow Cabinet would be elected every two years , instead wanting to adopt a system where he alone had the authority to select its members . Miliband later confirmed the story , claiming that the rule represented " a legacy of Labour 's past in opposition " . On 5 July , Labour MPs voted overwhelmingly by a margin of 196 to 41 to back the rule change , paving the way for NEC and conference approval , which was secured in September 2011 . This made Miliband the first Labour leader to have the authority to pick his own Shadow Cabinet . ` On 7 October 2011 , Miliband reshuffled his Shadow Cabinet . John Denham , John Healey and Shaun Woodward announced that they were stepping down , while Meg Hillier , Ann <unk> and Baroness Scotland also left the Shadow Cabinet . Veteran MPs Tom Watson , Jon Trickett , Stephen Twigg and Vernon Coaker were promoted to the Shadow Cabinet , as were several of the 2010 intake , including Chuka Umunna , Margaret Curran and Rachel Reeves , with Liz Kendall and Michael Dugher given the right to attend Shadow Cabinet . Lord Wood and Emily Thornberry were also made Shadow Cabinet attendees . 
