John McDonnell was forced to take time off work. John McDonnell John Martin McDonnell (born 8 September 1951) is a British Labour Party politician who was appointed the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in September 2015. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hayes and Harlington since the 1997 general election. He has served as chair of the Socialist Campaign Group in Parliament and the Labour Representation Committee, and was the chair of the Public Services Not Private Profit Group. He is also parliamentary convenor of the Trade Union Co-ordinating Group of eight left-wing trade unions representing over half a
2010 Labour Party (UK) Shadow Cabinet election portfolios to non-members, who are considered to "attend" Shadow Cabinet. On 8 September 2010, the PLP voted to continue electing the Shadow Cabinet and made various changes to the rules for such elections: The following are also members of the Shadow Cabinet by virtue of the office listed: Shortly after the 2010 general election, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling announced that he would not be a candidate in the elections, thus ending more than 20 years of frontbench service. In August, both Shadow Justice Secretary Jack Straw and Shadow Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth announced their retirements from the