New shadow cabinet announced

Yvette Cooper is favourite to become shadow chancellor as Labour leader Ed Miliband decides on the line-up of his top team.

The former work and pensions secretary comfortably topped the secret ballot of MP colleagues to decide who should head up their attack on the coalition, followed by ex-housing minister John Healey and her husband Ed Balls.

Alan Johnson, Andy Burnham, Jim Murphy and John Denham were among other big names safely returned, along with Mr Miliband's leadership campaign manager, Sadiq Khan.

But a number of familiar figures from the previous government crashed out, including ex-Cabinet members Peter Hain, Ben Bradshaw and Shaun Woodward. Defeated leadership candidate Diane Abbott also failed to gain enough support.

A minimum quota of six women had also been imposed as part of efforts to promote equality. But that figure was exceeded, with the parliamentary party returning eight in total - including Caroline Flint, who quit Gordon Brown's government in 2008 complaining that female ministers were being treated as "window dressing".

Ex-Cabinet Office minister Tessa Jowell retains her status, while twin sisters Angela and Maria Eagle have been promoted to the top team, as have Meg Hillier and Ann McKechin. Mary Creagh enters the shadow cabinet despite never having served on the front bench before.