Labour MP Abena Oppong-Asare who claimed for parking ticket on expenses promoted in Starmer’s reshuffle

A Labor MP who fined taxpayers £55 has been promoted in the wake of Sir Keir Starmer’s reshuffle.

Just a few weeks later, Abena Oppong-Asare was handed the Women’s Health and Mental Health mandate The Independent the expense report revealed.

In the wake of the revelation, the Expenses Authority tightened its rules, Ms Oppong-Asare apologized and senior Tories called for her sacking.

But in a reshuffle on Monday to put Labor on an electoral basis, Sir Keir promoted Ms Oppong-Asare from her shadow post at the Treasury.

Responding to the promotion, Ms Oppong-Asare said: “I am delighted to join the Shadow Team for Health and Social Care as Shadow Minister for Women’s Health and Mental Health.

“These are issues that are incredibly close to my heart and of great importance to the public.

“Keir Starmer is assembling a team ready to reign and deliver.”

Ms Oppong-Asare replaced Shadow Minister for Mental Health Dr. Rosena Allin-Khan, who resigned on Monday with a dig at the Labor leader.

She said Sir Keir had “made it clear that he saw no place for a mental health portfolio in a Labor cabinet”.

She was therefore “unable to continue in this role,” she said.

In the Labor reshuffle, several key players were demoted – while key allies received significant promotions.

Sir Keir told his new team that the party had made “real progress” but still had “a long, long way” ahead of them, opening Tuesday’s shadow cabinet meeting by saying there was “absolutely no complacency”. could.

Mr Starmer – accused by activists on the left of having assembled “a small group of Blairites” – told the senior Labor MPs they were chosen because of their “hunger” ahead of an “important and crucial” political period.

The decision to appoint Angela Rayner as the new secretary meant that Lisa Nandy – who is seen as a leading figure on Labour’s ‘soft left’ – was demoted to the international development department.

The full list of new positions in Labor’s shadow cabinet following the recent reorganization can be found here.