There is a saying in Labour circles that the most powerful thing in the shadow cabinet is the eyebrow of Pat McFadden. Should a frontbencher have an idea which causes the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury to quizzically raise said eyebrow, then, it is claimed, they should abandon all hope. “If you say spending three times he apparates with a scythe,” Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, quipped recently.
Rachel Reeves’s second-in-command – he took up his current post in 2021 – is a veteran not only of Tony Blair’s era but of John Smith’s. Having been at the centre of power throughout Labour’s last period in office, McFadden’s intellect, judgement and connections are a valuable resource as Keir Starmer’s relatively inexperienced team prepares for government. One source described McFadden as a “behind-the-scenes operator” for Labour moderates “who has accumulated extraordinary power” over policy and strategy.
Content from our partners
