Lords Adonis and Mandelson will take a step back

Lords Mandelson and Adonis have left the shadow cabinet because it is too difficult to do do their jobs in opposition from the Lords, says Labour.

MPs Pat McFadden and Sadiq Khan become shadow business secretary and shadow transport secretary instead.

Rosie Winterton will be shadow Commons leader as Harriet Harman is acting leader of the Opposition as the contest to succeed Gordon Brown takes place.

Other former cabinet ministers will shadow their old posts.

Alistair Darling will be shadow chancellor for now, although he has signalled his intention to stand down from Labour's front bench, after 13 years in the cabinet.

Lord Adonis and Lord Mandelson were both part of the negotiating team which failed to reach a coalition deal with the Liberal Democrats in the aftermath of the general election earlier this month.

As members of the House of Lords, they would not have been able to face their opposite numbers in the new coalition government across the despatch box in the Commons.

Leadership contenders

Four of the Labour leadership contenders remain on the front bench.

David Miliband is shadow foreign secretary, Ed Miliband is shadow energy and climate change secretary, Andy Burnham is shadow health secretary and Ed Balls is shadow education secretary.

The list in full is:

Acting Leader of the Opposition - Harriet Harman

Shadow Foreign Secretary - David Miliband

Shadow Chancellor - Alistair Darling

Shadow Lord Chancellor/Justice Secretary -Jack Straw

Shadow Home Secretary - Alan Johnson

Shadow Defence Secretary - Bob Ainsworth

Shadow Business Secretary - Pat McFadden

Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities - Yvette Cooper

Shadow Energy and Climate Change Secretary - Ed Miliband

Shadow Health Secretary -Andy Burnham

Shadow Education Secretary -Ed Balls

Shadow Communities Secretary - John Denham

Shadow Transport Secretary - Sadiq Khan

Shadow Environment Secretary - Hilary Benn

Shadow International Development Secretary - Douglas Alexander

Shadow Cabinet Office/Olympics/London Minister -Tessa Jowell

Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary - Shaun Woodward

Shadow Scottish Secretary - Jim Murphy

Shadow Welsh Secretary - Peter Hain

Shadow Culture Secretary - Ben Bradshaw

Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury - Liam Byrne

Shadow Leader of the Lords - Baroness Jan Royall

Labour Chief Whip - Nick Brown

Shadow Housing Minister - John Healey

Shadow Commons leader - Rosie Winterton

Labour Chief Whip in the Lords - Lord Bassam

Shadow Attorney-General - Baroness Scotland

Shadow Children's Minister - Dawn Primarolo

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