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Jon Ashworth named as new shadow health secretary

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Jon Ashworth, MP for Leicester South, has been appointed the new shadow health secretary, after Diane Abbott was promoted to shadow home secretary

Jon Ashworth, MP for Leicester South, has been appointed the new shadow health secretary, after Diane Abbott was promoted to shadow home secretary.

Mr Ashworth is the fourth Labour health secretary in a year, following Ms Abbott, Heidi Alexander, and Andy Burnham. He was previously a member of the shadow cabinet as minister without portfolio.

He tweeted: ‘The NHS was and still is Labour's greatest achievement. On the brink of crisis under the Tories and going backwards, we'll be campaigning hard.’

Mr Ashworth has been Leicester South’s MP since 2011. He has consistently voted in line with Labour’s position’s on health, such as in favour of smoking bans and restricting the provision of services to private patients by the NHS.