Jon Trickett given task of co-ordinating May’s election campaign

With Scottish, Welsh, London, Police and Crime Commissioner and local council elections, all UK voters will have a chance to go to the ballot box next year.

It will be the first big electoral test of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party, and the leader is looking to ensure the campaign will be fought on his terms. Jon Trickett, one of Corbyn’s biggest supporters within the Shadow Cabinet, has this week been handed the job of election co-ordinator for May.

Trickett is the Shadow Local Government Secretary, giving him a particular perspective to May’s elections. Since 2005, he has produced post-general election analyses of were Labour has lost, or failed to gain, voters – and his 2o15 work appeared to form the basis for Corbyn’s proposed electoral strategy of reaching out to Labour-identifying non-voters.

The role was announced at Tuesday’s meeting of the Shadow Cabinet, and did not meet with any vocal opposition. The full remit of the task is expected to be finalised over the next few weeks.