Labour is now the main opposition party in parliament, so its voice needs to be loud, says Estelle Morris
The appointment of the shadow secretary of state for education is not an event that has ever dominated the media headlines, particularly when it follows a general election. A party new to opposition takes time to move from defending its actions in government to developing new policies for a changed situation, and usually stays beneath the public radar for a while.
However, whichever of my colleagues holds this post by the end of next week will find themselves in an unusual position. Coalition politics means that in parliament Labour is the only major political party opposing the government, and this will make a real difference to the parliamentary part of the education debate.
The last government had to defend its policies in parliament on two fronts, the Conservative right and the Liberal Democrats, who consistently positioned themselves to the left of Labour on education. It certainly meant that ministers had to think through a wider range of opposing arguments when developing their proposals.
How much things have changed was clear in the passage of the academies bill over the summer. Apart from one or two rebellious backbenchers, the Liberal Democrat arguments of the last parliament went unmade. A wide range of voices will continue to be heard in the country as the government takes forward its policies, but parliament itself has returned to "two party" politics.
Opposition matters, and new shadow cabinet members will have to be effective from the start. A wide-ranging education bill is due to be published this autumn; there will be huge political pressure to accelerate the academies programme and announce more free schools; new higher education financial arrangements will be put forward and reforms to Ofsted and the national curriculum will be published. Then there are the cuts in education funding.
It looks like a busy term in education, and the parliamentary opposition voice will need to be loud and strong.
There are policy areas where in the past Labour and the Liberal Democrats have joined forces against the Conservatives and where now the responsibility will fall on Labour. Three areas come to mind. First, any return to selection by academic ability or any weakening of the admissions code of practice; second, the future of the wider children's services agenda; and third, adult skills and learning. Before coalition politics, Labour and the Liberal Democrats would have been natural partners on these issues. It will be interesting to see where the battle lines are drawn now.
Part of the role of shadow ministers has always been about tactics and alliances, but this will have to be done in a way that reflects the changed political landscape.
The equally important task of any opposition is to put forward alternative ideas and policies. Whatever direction the new Labour leadership takes the party, unresolved tensions within its education policies will need to be confronted. The nature and extent of the role of the market and private sector in education; the effectiveness and consequences of increased choice; student funding; and closing the social class gap – they are all issues that need to be aired.
There is a belief in politics that "shadow minister for anything" is one of the most unenviable tasks. It is responsibility without power, and certainly feeds the desire to move from opposition to government. Thankfully, I don't think the new situation will take away the frustration of opposition and dampen the thirst for government, but there will be greater and different pressures and expectations on the new shadow education team.