the shadow cabinet of her magesty`s most loyal opposition

VICS XX
THE SHADOW CABINET OF HER MAGESTY’S MOST LOYAL OPPOSITION
Dear Delegates,
Welcome to VICS XX and, more specifically, the Shadow Cabinet of Her Majesty’s
Most Loyal Opposition. A mouthful, I know, but an awesome title nevertheless!
My name is William Truban and I will have the privilege of serving as your Chair
for this conference, with the other, but not as awesome, title of Chair of the Labour
Party. While I am from the Appalachian Mountains in the western part of Virginia, I
have always been pretty keen on British culture and politics, with good portions of my
life spent watching time honored classics, like the original British version of House of
Cards, Doctor Who, Luther and the political comedy show The Thick of It.
Your crisis director will be Emily McLean, a veteran of the planning side of VICS
but a newcomer to the committee side. A native Tennessean, she is particularly
interested in education policy focused on secondary education standards. Her secret
talents include making balloon animals, being able to recite all 50 states in alphabetical
order, and performing outbursts of classical ballet.
Emily and I look forward to watching your inner Francis Urquhart come out in
committee and are interested to see how y’all will act when the fate of the nation is on
the line in this dynamic committee where unforeseen consequences can unseat even the
most powerful of leaders. We look forward to seeing everyone in March and, if there are
any questions about the background guide or the procedures of committee, you can
email us or our Director General, Gary DePalo, at vics.directorgeneral@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
William Truban
Chair
wat6pr@virginia.edu
Emily McLean
Crisis Director
ecm8qe@virginia.edu
Introduction – The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Great Britain is a country that has truly endured the test of time. While the nation
may no longer be the monumental empire that once stretched across the entirety of the
Earth, Britain has retained its global prominence and influential positions. Britain
stands as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, a key player in
the Commonwealth of Nations, and a pivotal nation in the European Union. Our
international prestige is unquestionable and our glorious nation still stands as a world
leader in economic, military and social affairs. However, that might be short lived if the
current government of David Cameron is allowed to continue with its constant
ambiguity on policy and short sighted mindset.
As many of you probably remember, the Cameron government came to power
after the Conservative Party routed us in the 2010 General Election and propagated an
alliance with the Liberal Democrat Party in order to form a government1. This has left
the Labour Party out of power at one of the most pivotal points in our history, where
every decision will affect the fate of millions for decades to come. This government has
done nothing but squander this valuable time, appealing to radical xenophobes and the
corporate giants. They have put forward policies that are absurd and harmful to the
British people, such as the privatization of the National Health Service, tax breaks, and
even possible withdrawal from the European Union. It’s no wonder that Scotland tried
to secede considering that the Conservatives almost appear to be trying to ruin our
nation.
However, an opportunity is coming up for us to take back power and bring this
country the victory it so desperately needs. The 2015 General Election will be taking
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place in May and it is vital that we crush the coalition government at the polls. That will
be the principal duty of the Shadow Cabinet in the days to come – to ensure that our
people get elected and to bolster the image of the party. The Labour Party needs to be
seen as for the everyday citizen and a better entity of leadership than the mismatched
group of idiots over at Number 10 Downing Street have been able to demonstrate.
We, the members of the Shadow Cabinet, are part of the Labour Party, the center
left party, which has seen quite the change in recent years. After removing socialism
from the platform of the Labour Party, Tony Blair led us to victory in the polls and broke
the 18 year long streak of Conservative control of the government with the creation of
his new “Third Way”. This strong leftist come back was cut short after a 13 years with
quite the hit in the 2010 General Elections and it is our duty to reverse this and regain
power for the sake of the British people. While leadership of the party has been rather
precarious in recent years, it will be up to Shadow Cabinet to decide the course that we
will take and how best we might connect with the electorate. Our platform stands in
stark contrast to the Conservatives, with opening up on immigration, cracking down on
corporate failures, higher taxes on the wealthy, green energy initiatives, and the
continuation of European Union membership.
Due to the nature of the British Shadow Cabinet and the positions of its
ministers, there will be some extra procedures that delegates will be permitted to use in
committee. These will primarily consist of processes like reshuffling the cabinet, votes of
no confidence, and calls for an inquiry. These methods can be used to force ministers to
toe the party line as well as to ensure that committee will be a dynamic process. You are
expected to be able to fulfill not just the position you were assigned at the start of the
conference, but any other roles that you might be put up to as committee moves along.
Also, to make everything a bit more personalized, we will be referring to everyone by
their actual names instead of their position titles and everyone will be permitted to
formulate their own beliefs, as long as they remain a part of the Labour Party’s platform.
These new motions will also have unintended consequences so caution should be
exercised before wildly making motions of this nature. Be ready for anything. All of
these rules will be elaborated on more at the beginning of committee on Thursday. Also,
to be perfectly clear, I will be using the terms “Labour Party” and “Labour”
synonymously for the sake of this background guide.
Vote of No Confidence
A vote of no confidence can be called for by a member of the Shadow Cabinet in
the event that the Leader has shown an obvious failure to lead their fellow committee
members or there is a growing resentment of the leader. This may be motioned by any
member of the Cabinet and must be seconded by at least three other members. If the
conditions stated above, such as obvious inadequate leadership or resentment, are not
met, then any such call for a vote will be thrown out by the Chair. These votes may result
in shifts in the mood of the electorate, either helping at the polls or damaging our
reputation by appearing divided and weak.
Reshuffling the Cabinet
This is the simple matter of reorganizing the committee to switch the placement
of ministers. This can be done by a simple placard vote, particularly after a vote of no
confidence has been held and a new Leader of the Opposition has been selected or the
old Leader has retained their position. This motion will require a simple majority and
will require that the delegates submit a copy of the new Shadow Cabinet positions to the
Chair of the Labour Party. The Leader of the Opposition will not be permitted to vote in
the matter, unless it comes down to a tie. This motion will be voted on like a resolution.
Call for an Inquiry
This is more of a nuclear option than anything. If an extremely profound crisis
occurs, an inquiry may be called for to look at the matter in a more detailed light and the
inquiry committee will work to come to a conclusion regarding the crisis at hand. An
inquiry can be called for in a motion by any member of the Shadow Cabinet and only
requires one delegate to second the motion in order to be voted on. However, it should
be reiterated that this is a NUCLEAR OPTION, i.e. an option of last resort and not an
action to joke about. This is not something to be taken lightly and can very quickly blow
back on the Party if not done in a careful manner or with the assurance that it will affect
the Government far more than it will affect us. Such blow back might include drawing
members of the party into the inquiry, a destruction of leadership reputations to the
point where you might be forced to resign, and the polls turning against the Labour
Party in the upcoming election.
Terminology
Shadow Cabinet
The Shadow Cabinet is the leadership of the main party in opposition, which is
the Labour Party at this time. It serves as the alternative to the Government, putting
forth alternative policies in an effort to distinguish its party as a better choice in the next
election, as well as vocalizing criticism of the Government’s actions and responses. The
Shadow Cabinet has little in the way of explicit, actual power but each member has
considerable influence with the bureaucrats in their areas of expertise. Members also
utilize the media to brow beat the Government, can call for inquiries and utilize leaking
in order to get their ideas out to the public.
The Conservative Party (The Tories)
The Conservative Party is the center-right party in the British political system
and is the senior member of the coalition government that currently runs the United
Kingdom. It held considerable power in the 1980s and 90s under the leadership of
Margaret Thatcher and John Major but were voted out in 1997 and had been out of
power for 13 years. However, their recent comeback is somewhat tenuous as the
Conservatives have been forced to rely on the Liberal Democrats to maintain a majority
in Parliament and are also being attacked from the political right by UKIP. The Tories’
platform consists of being tough on immigration, maintaining neoliberal economic
policies, capping social welfare benefits and holding a referendum on British
membership in the EU2. The current party leader is David Cameron, who also serves as
the Prime Minister3.
United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP)
An ultranationalist and xenophobic conservative party, UKIP has exploded in
Britain much like the Tea Party has in the United States, galvanizing popular support
and rousing a lot of anger in both their supporters and opponents. UKIP has caused a
shift in the ideology of the Conservative Party and pushed many MPs to act and vote
further right than they normally would so that UKIP can’t unseat them. UKIP is
staunchly opposed to continued British membership in the European Union and wants a
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3
Conservative
Conservative
complete withdraw as well as a stricter border control policy and a return to
“traditional” British values4. They are currently headed by Nigel Farage.
The Liberal Democrat Party
The Liberal Democrats, a centrist, moderate party in the British political system,
serves as the Junior member of the coalition government dominated by the
Conservative Party. The Liberal Democrats have never risen to the level of the Labour
Party or the Conservatives but are influential enough that the two major parties have to
negotiate and listen to them if neither gets a clear majority in the House of Commons.
While they are part of the government, that does not mean anyone in the Liberal
Democrats is particularly happy about it and they might be willing to switch things up if
it were to further their goals. Their current platform consists of some middle of the road
policies, with creating a fair immigration system, tax cuts for the lower and middle
classes, and green energy featuring prominently in their platform5. The Liberal
Democrats support the call for a referendum on British membership in the European
Union but only so that the British electorate will renew the position of the United
Kingdom in the supranational body. Their party leader is Nick Clegg and he currently
serves as the Deputy Prime Minister.
Issues
European Union Membership
Ever since its 1973 entrance into the European Union, the United Kingdom has
always been rather divided on the benefits of being a part of the supranational
organization. Expressions of this divide have been shown when the question of
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UKIP
Liberal Democrats
membership was held in a national referendum in 1975 after a renegotiation of its terms
of membership6. In the present political climate, the Conservative Party has become the
bulwark for Eurosceptics, who believe that the European Union is a waste of the British
taxpayer’s money. This lot tends to bring up subsidies for French farmers through the
Common Agriculture Policy, which is viewed in an unfavorable light by the British
electorate. However, both the Liberal Democrats and the Labour Party are more
cautious about an exit of the EU and feel it would greatly damage the British economy if
the nation were to withdraw from either the single market infrastructure or from the
European political system setup in Brussels. In this regard, the Liberal Democrats
support a referendum, only to reaffirm British membership. On the other hand, Labour
has declared a referendum would not be in the national interest and that the
opportunity should not be granted to vote on the issue.
EU membership has become such a divisive issue that UKIP has grown in
response to it, an ultranationalist conservative party that puts more emphasis on being
British than being European7. While the UKIP politicians do not have many seats in
Parliament, they have gained significant clout over the Conservatives, who’d rather not
have to deal with an opponent challenging their conservative beliefs from the right.
UKIP has also blown out of proportion some of the issues at hand, focusing primarily on
the border control situation – declaring that Britain no longer has any control over its
own borders, that British money is only going to ambiguous regulators who act with
impunity, and that Britain will be sucked further into a supposedly “failing” Eurozone8.
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George
UKIP
8 UKIP
6
7
This is in ignorance of the UK being given the privilege to opt out of any
European Union aspects it does not feel comfortable with. This has given the British the
opportunity to remain outside of the European common border system written down in
the Schengan Agreement, to have key exceptions for eventually implementing the Euro
and even getting a refund of some funds that we put in9. UKIP also often forgets how
beneficial the one market system is for Britain; the City of London enjoys a fantastic
position as the financial capital of Europe and the UK receives an assortment of
structural funds for Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland10. It should also be noted
that, if Britain were to leave the EU, it would still face the same regulations from
Brussels that they do now if it wished to continue doing trade with the European
Continent, which accounts for almost 50% of Britain’s trade11.
As a minister in the British Shadow Cabinet preparing for the election, EU
membership is going to be a vital issue in the minds of the electorate and selling the
British population on the continuing benefits of membership would be a solid way to
win hearts, minds and votes. However, this will be difficult in a Britain with an aging
populace that stands inclined to remember the old days of the British Empire and will
require quite a bit of tact to get the issue moving in our favor.
The Economy
Like a good portion of the Western world, Britain remains mired in the aftermath
of the Great Recession. The pound has stood strong in a market where the dollar faced
the increasingly devastating effects of subprime mortgages and the euro dealt with
member states defaulting on their debts as well as violating the terms to be part of the
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Pinder
Leaving the EU
11 ONS
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euro. However, Britain, in its present situation, lacks an Empire, new North Sea oil or
easy credit to fall back on now that institutional problems are coming to pass. The
economy still suffers from an overdependence on the financial sector, a continuing
mindset of “short-termism”, and the result of the British welfare state paying the
pensions of a growing elderly population.
To start, the short-termism mentioned is a deeply ingrained institutional
problem within the British economy that puts a heavy focus on quick results rather than
what might be best for the company or industry in the long term12. It has also moved on
to become a defining feature of the government, seeing as the government’s job is to try
and ensure the prosperity of the nation through the continued growth of its economy.
This limited view of the economy has resulted in disincentives to recruit, to develop new
products, to invest due to a lack of stability in the market and to research for long term
growth13. This is considered a top issue by both business and labor union leaders, whom
both see this pervasive cultural mentality as a severe threat to long term economic
development in Britain.
The deficit has grown under the coalition government’s term in office, as a result
of both its disastrous spending cuts policy when it first took office as well as a recent
forecast in the autumn statement that reduced the expected tax revenue for the next
fiscal year and forced the Government to specify how it would take until 2019-2020 to
balance the budget14. There has even become an evident crack in the coalition as to the
steps that should be taken to deal with the budgetary situation, with Conservative’s
pushing more spending and tax cuts and Liberal Democrats wanting to remove wasteful
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Sir George Cox
Sir George Cox
14 Osborne
12
13
spending but refusing to play along with an “austerity forever” policy15. There is a
further stark divide on the future of the welfare apparatus of the state, such as the
National Health Service and school funding that the Conservatives would like to see cut
in clear opposition to Liberal Democrats and the Labour Party.
There is also the problem of immigration policy for the British economy. Due to
its aging populace and low birth rate, Britain suffers from a labor shortage and requires
the yearly influx of Eastern and Southern Europeans to make up for this shortfall16.
However, with UKIP putting immense pressure on the Conservatives, there has been a
clamp down on immigration and a call by the Cameron Government for tighter control
of the borders. These sorts of xenophobia induced policies, enacted out of prejudicial
blindness and political fear by the Conservatives and UKIP, may only serve to harm the
nation and paint the United Kingdom as a hateful bigoted nation when immigrants are
needed in this country now more than ever.
Here, in the issues of the economy, Labour may be better off appealing to the
Liberal Democrats and bolstering already massive public support for state sponsored
programs, like the NHS and school funding. A focus on economic issues might bring
them around to considering a different government in power but the divisions between
the Liberal Democrats and Labour can be just as toxic as the ones between them and the
Conservatives. However, creating a solid economic plan to move forward on would be an
excellent way to gain respect in the eyes of the electorate.
National Security
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Swinford
Leaving the EU
As anyone following any news source certainly understands, the world is a
dangerous place and the United Kingdom must continue to stand strong against both
new and old enemies who threaten the free world. There is the obvious threat of Islamic
extremism in the Middle East and here at home, with the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq
and Syria (ISIS) sparking radicalization of many throughout the West, especially here in
the UK. Such radical beliefs combined with easy internet access to weapons and
materials brings about a higher risk of homegrown terrorism. Furthermore, there are
still attacks by extremist elements of the Irish Republic Army who look down on any
effort to implement peace in Northern Ireland. While Britain can only do so much to
combat these crises, making the present government look weak on ensuring our national
security and the safety of British citizens would be a splendid way to fire up support.
Coming about rather unexpectedly, ISIS has stormed onto the scene in the
Middle East, consuming elements of the Syrian rebels and making massive territorial
gains in Iraq17. Their speed is only matched by their brutality, with reports of
beheadings and slavery in this extremist Sunni area. While ISIS is far from our interests,
their social media prowess has been used to radicalize foreign nationals and to beckon
them to fight in the global jihad, with reportedly 500 of these foreign fighters coming
from the United Kingdom. While anti-radicalization measures have been stepped up
ever since the July 2005 tube attacks, it would appear that these efforts have had little
effect on extremists. Recently, the Home Office announced that the terror level had been
raised in December from “substantial” to “severe”, which would imply that an attack on
Britain is now extremely likely18.
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Smith
Travis
The current coalition government has reeled back on spending measures our
Party implemented to try and prevent further radicalization or the disenfranchisement
that typically leads to extremism19. This lack of community building and failure to draw
everyone of all levels of belief into alternative paths has alienated many members of the
Muslim community. Combined with the empowerment of extreme mosques that
sponsor radical speakers, the situation may draw more disenfranchised youth into the
Middle East20. There is also the growing concern of what to do when these foreign
fighters return home, now with combat experience and having been surrounded for
prolonged periods of time by extreme radicals21. If efforts are not taken to deal with
these trained extremists, we may be facing far more substantial homegrown terror
attacks than the 2013 stabbing of a Royal Marine22.
Northern Ireland has proven to be an entirely different matter. While peace talks
have brought about good outcomes and further agreements on governing and ensuring
the stability of Northern Ireland, there are still radical elements of the IRA. One of these
fringe groups is the so called Real IRA, who are opposed to the continuation of the peace
process and have done their best to spoil it23. While this is no longer the principal
terrorist threat to the United Kingdom, the situation in Northern Ireland still merits our
attention seeing as, no matter which government is in power, all Britons have a duty to
bring a final and conclusive end to the conflict.
For Your Thoughts
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Vidino
Vidino
21 Threat Assessment
22 Lawless
23 Moloney
19
20
There is a lot to cover in the coming committee sections and many ways forward
to win the election but there are also many ways to lose. Everyone should be prepared
and know quite well the platform of the Labour Party as well as have policy ideas ready
to put forward in Shadow Cabinet. Here are some things to consider when preparing:
1. What is the relationship between the Liberal Democrats and the
Conservatives?
2. How can we convince a Eurosceptic population of the benefits of EU
membership?
3. What kind of changes must we make to revitalize the British economy,
maintain the welfare state and end deficit spending?
4. What is the best way for us to counteract and prevent homegrown terrorism?
5. What kind of role should Britain play in Brussels and the EU?
6. How can our Party reconnect with the electorate?
Research Sources
For further research on these matters, I would highly advise the websites for the
four main parties we will be dealing with (Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat and
UKIP) as well as the BBC News: UK Politics section. The Guardian newspaper and its
subsequent website would also be an excellent way to remain informed on the
happenings in the British political system. I would also recommend Parliament
Publications, which are in-depth reports on specific issues that Parliament might debate
or focus on, ranging from terrorist threat assessments to cost-benefit analysis of EU
membership to outcomes of government economic policies. Another good website to use
would be gov.uk for information on current policies in place.
For more information on Britain and the European Union’s relationship to it, I
would recommend the website ESharp, which has a lot of different opinions about
British membership to the EU as well as a variety of good research on reasons to stay or
go. To get a more in depth look at the British economy, the Financial Times and the
Economist will serve as excellent sources. For more information on terrorism issues, the
MI5 website has excellent resources and reports about the current threats facing the UK.
As a parting note, I would like to reemphasize the variability of this committee
and how each delegate will very likely not leave with the same position they walked in
with. I recommend preparing for any and all positions and prepare to focus on a variety
of different policies at a moment’s notice. While your platforms are your own
personalized beliefs on the matter, they will have to stand up to scrutiny and be within
the parameters of the Labour Party. Failing to maintain a liberal stance in committee
will result in being sacked (fired). Delegates will continue to be marginalized in
committee and sacked until they bring their platforms in line with the views of the
Labour Party.
Dossier
Because of the structure of this committee, the dossiers will be slightly
unorthodox. Each dossier has a currently assigned name. However, your role in the
committee will likely change during the conference, due to a reshuffling of the positions
or the person filling your role being disinvited from the cabinet. The best-prepared
delegates will have researched the responsibilities of their position as well as the other
positions.
It should be noted that all delegates’ platforms will be personal ones, provided
that they are within the parameters of the Labour Party platform. Also, during
committee, you will go by your own personal name, not the name of the current holder
of your position. You will be encouraged to learn everyone else’s name in order to make
committee personal and fun.
To simply clarify, the Chair will maintain the title of Chair of the Labour Party
and will have the power to rule motions and actions as dilatory as well as to approve the
use of certain special motions specified in the background guide. The Chair’s primary
role will be to regulate debate, maintain order and to ensure a consensus amongst
delegates.
Leader of Her Majesty’s Most Loyal Opposition
The person holding this position is viewed as the alternative Prime Minister if the
political majority were to change in Parliament. The Leader of the Opposition is, as
stated in the title, the Leader of the Labour Party and is often at the forefront of the
attack against the coalition government. The Leader has the dual role of maintaining
moral in the Labour Party as well as trying to push what they believe the goals of the
Party should be. The leader is elected by a coalition of supporters within the Shadow
Cabinet so, for the Leader, maintaining this coalition is critical if they wish to stay in
power for any significant amount of time.
Shadow Deputy Prime Minister
This position acts as a second in command to the Leader of the Opposition, and is often
the Chair of the Labour Party. This position is highly political, and has numerous
connections within the political leadership of the Labour Party, both within and without
Parliament. The primary role is to support the Leader of the Opposition in their attack
on the Government and acting in a special advisory role. This position is the second
highest ranking position in the Shadow Cabinet and, like the Leader of the Opposition,
requires a broad coalition to maintain power for any significant period of time. It should
also be noted that, in the event that the Leader must resign, the Deputy will take their
place.
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport
This additional position was previously called the Shadow Secretary of State for
National Heritage, and acts as the official mouth of the party on anything related to
culture, media, and sports issues. This position mirrors the Secretary of State for
Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, and the holder of this position often translates into
this position in the case of an opposition takeover. Experience planning the Olympics or
other major sporting events in England’s recent times often leads civil servants toward
this position, but it is still completely politically appointed.
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
This role is interesting in that it is not established formally in the Constitution, but has
in recent years been appointed by the Leader of the Opposition, giving this role a fairly
tenuous position in the cabinet. In the past, this position was designated for a high-level
economic adviser in the opposition, giving this position significant clout in weighing in
on the economic issues that our nation and continent are experiencing. Even more than
other positions, this position will be an important platform for critiquing the current
economic policies of the coalition government, especially any actions taken that could
adversely affect labour unions. The Labour platform currently includes plans to institute
tax breaks for companies who increase wages to a living wage and encouraging small
business growth.
Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
This position shadows the Foreign Secretary, and deals with all international affairs. The
Foreign Secretary oversees all foreign relations that the UK engages in, as well as the
Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). The Shadow Secretary will be similarly well versed in
all current diplomatic and intelligence engagements, and should have strong critiques
ready for the Opposition to use to exploit controversy in the Coalition government’s
current policies. This will include but is not limited to David Cameron’s handling of the
UK’s position in the EU, the Scottish Referendum, and conflict in the Middle East.
Shadow Secretary of State for the Home Department
The position shadows the current Home Secretary, who oversees policy related to home
affairs. The topic of home affairs includes issues related to police, national security,
immigration, and the justice. The current rise of extremism in Europe, along with the
recent events in France, will be part of this secretary’s work to undermine current
security policies among other topics. This shadow position is currently filled by Yvette
Cooper.
Shadow Lord Chancellor and Shadow Secretary of State for Justice and
Shadow Minister of London (three roles held by same person)
This role shadows the Lord Chancellor, in charge of the efficient and fair running of the
courts, including appointing many of the judges in English judicial system, and
approves appointments to the ecclesiastical courts of the Church of England. Along with
personally overseeing these appointments, the Lord Chancellor often makes
recommendations as to who the Sovereign should appoint onto the Supreme Court of
the United Kingdom, similar to the Supreme Court in the United States. This position no
longer includes duties within day to day judicial functions, as they have concurrently
served on some of the high courts of England while serving in this role.
This additional office Shadows the Secretary of State for Justice position, which is
always held in conjunction with the Lord Chancellor position.
This final role is a part of the municipal government of London, and reports to the
Shadow Cabinet on what is happening in the London Assembly.
Shadow Secretary of State of Health
This role shadows the Secretary of Health, who administers the government run health
system in England. This position does not include the health systems in Wales,
Scotland, or Northern Ireland, as they are administered by separate administrators. This
position will deal with a number of domestic issues, including rising costs to the
government, overcrowding in hospitals, long wait times, and a shortage of qualified
medical professionals in the National Health System, England’s publicly funded
healthcare system which was started by the Labour Party over 50 years ago.
Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, and Skills
This position shadows the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills,
commonly known as the Business Secretary. This role is also the President of the Board
of Trade. These roles make policies related to businesses, labor policies (not be confused
with the Labour Party), and financial policies and taxation. This position is an important
platform for many Labour policies, including those related to youth unemployment and
vocational education.
Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
This position shadows the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. This secretary
originally dealt with solely the pensions of war veterans and their dependents, but now
also administers social security and assistance in the UK. This position will particularly
be examining the current government’s tax policies, and how they affect the many
citizens who currently live off of a pension or other fixed income. These policies include
repealing the controversial Bedroom tax and David Cameron’s healthcare act.
Shadow Secretary of State for Education
This position shadows the Secretary of State for Education, who administers aspects of
government funded schools, included teacher pay, school curriculums, school
improvement, and distributing government grants to schools. This position also is in
charge of adoption and child protection services. This Shadow secretary will likely want
to focus on some of the current issues in the education system now, including teacher
tenure, recent changes by the current government regarding school curriculums, and
teacher pay.
Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
This position shadows the Secretary of State for Defence, commonly known as the
Defence Secretary. This position oversees the UK armed forces, and any foreign military
interventions. The Shadow Secretary will want to address many of the pressing military
issues in the UK at this time, including but not limited to restricting or blocking foreign
military intervention supported by the current government, discussing a longer term
strategic plan for Britain’s military, the UK’s actions in NATO, and addressing policies
related to cyber warfare.
Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
This position shadows the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, a
relatively new position created in 2005. This position has some overlap with the policy
areas of other cabinet members, but focuses on local implementation of these policies,
especially in the realm of housing and economic policy.
Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
This position shadows the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, a position
that predominantly deals with energy policy and regulation in the UK. With the Labour
platform relying heavily on slowing the increases in energy costs to get a handle on the
cost of living, this position will have significant voice in the public debate leading up to
the election. In addition to these energy debates, this secretary will help promote the
party stance on renewable energy sources and the UK’s energy independence.
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
This position shadows the Secretary of State for Transport, who administers transport
policies in the UK, including funding infrastructure improvements to ground and rail
transport, regulating air travel, and creating a significant number of jobs with the
awarding of government contracts. This position will focus especially on rising costs of
public transit and environmental sustainability.
Shadow Secretary of State for International Development
This position shadows the Secretary of State for International Development, which
focuses on Britain’s non-military presence abroad. This includes government sponsored
aid and development projects. After years of a conservative stance with regards to this
position in particular, this Shadow Minister will be crucial in popularizing the
“progressive internationalism” Ed Miliband discussed in recent comments, and
criticizing the current government’s conservative ideologies in regards to international
aid presence.
Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
This position shadows the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,
who predominantly deals with agriculture regulation, farming efficiency and
sustainability, and negotiating international agreements regarding agriculture. This
position is especially important to farm owners, as farmland takes up 70% of land use in
the UK, a large proportion given the pressure on the housing market.
Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
This position shadows the Minister for Women and Equalities, the head of an
independent branch of the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport, and specifically
addresses issues related to gender inequality and discrimination in general. The policies
this shadow minister will be pushing for the most include additional aid to working
mothers in the form of childcare, the construction of more housing to address the
housing shortage, and preventing the rise in energy prices to keep cost of living from
increasing as quickly.
Shadow Minister for Housing
This position shadows the Minister for Housing, the chief administrator and key
policymaker for housing policy. Key issues within the realm of this position include ways
to build more affordable housing for citizens not yet “on the property ladder”, rent
regulations, and providing housing to the vulnerable. This shadow position will be
crucial in spearheading efforts to popularize the Labour Party’s plan for policies that
allow the construction of more affordable housing.
Shadow Attorney General for England and Wales
This position is shadows the Attorney General of England and Wales. The Attorney
General acts as legal counsel to the current government and gives legal advice to
members of the ruling government.
Labour Party Policy Review Coordinator
This position helps shape policy in many different cabinet positions, and this
coordinator works closely with various cabinet members and leaders within the Labour
Party on crafting policy for the Shadow cabinet. This position is not a ministerial
position, but still exercises significant influence over the committee because of strong
party backing.
Bibliography
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Virginia International Crisis Simulation
Hosted at the University of Virginia
March 26 to 29, 2015
International Relations Organization
P.O. Box 400435
Newcomb Hall Station
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4435
If you have any questions, please email VICS XX Secretary General Emma Myers at vics.sg@gmail.com.