They were the golden intake: clever boys and girls, untarnished by the dirty business of governing, they would rise quickly through the ranks of the Labour Party before charming a grateful nation. From the opposition backbench to the cabinet table in Downing Street in barely five years. Dubbed the “shiny people”, they were to carry Ed Miliband over the threshold of No 10, and right about now would be thinking of running an election campaign based on their record in office. It didn’t quite work out like that, of course. And as the Labour Party embroils itself in yet another exercise in trying to navigate a path back to power, it feels as though it is worth taking a look at the group of people…

Source: The Times January 16, 2020 09:00 UTC