2 Top names resign in big labour shake-up

TWO of Labour’s key figures have stepped down from their posts ahead of Ed Miliband’s reshuffle of his Labour top team today. The departures of shadow business secretary John Denham and shadow health secretary John Healey are expected to pave the way for the embattled Labour leader to bring new blood into his shadow cabinet from the 2010 intake of MPs. Shadow junior minister Rachel Reeves, 32, is set to lead a charge of young women dubbed “Mili’s fillies”. Emma Reynolds, 33, also a shadow junior minister, and backbencher Stella Creasy, 34, are expected to join the new-look team. The experienced Caroline Flint could be promoted to shadow health secretary from her communities and local government role. Shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland Shaun Woodward, the former Conservative MP who defected to Labour in 1999, is among those battling to save their jobs. And shadow culture, media and sport secretary Ivan Lewis and energy spokeswoman Meg Hillier are also thought to be at risk.Mr Miliband faced a backlash last week following his conference speech in Liverpool which lurched his party back to the left