Andrew Gwynne Appointed Labour Shadow Care Minister

Andrew Gwynne MP for Denton and Reddish has been appointed Labour’s Shadow Minister of State for Social Care minister following a Labour reshuffle this week.

Mr Gwynne, who has served as Labour’s shadow public health minister since December 2021, replaces Liz Kendall who has moved to shadow secretary of state for work and pensions after three-and-a-half years.

As Minister of State, the news means Gwynne will serve as number 2 to the Secretary of State within the Shadow Health and Social Care Team.

Andrew Gwynne said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have been asked to serve as Shadow Minister of State for Social Care under the Shadow Secretary of State Wes Streeting.

“I’m proud to have held the Government to account on health inequalities, tobacco control, obesity and issues affecting clinically vulnerable and clinically extremely vulnerable patients. I have no doubt that Preet Kaur Gill will do an exceptional job in her new role. I’m very much looking forward to taking on the Social Care brief after Liz Kendall’s excellent work.

Under the Tories, we’ve seen 13 years of broken promises and failure to reform Social Care. The next Labour Government will be mission driven in building a care system fit for the future, one that meets the needs of older and disabled people and their families.”

Helen Wildbore, director of Care Rights UK, said: “We welcome the new shadow minister of state for social care into the role. With the sector in crisis and people battling to get their basic rights and needs met, this role is pivotal. Social care is in urgent need of reform and this must be one of the key policy issues in the build up to the next election.”