A minor reshuffle of the UK Labour Party opposition Shadow Cabinet has seen the sacking of Michael Dugher as Shadow Secretary for Culture, Media and Sport, to be replaced by Maria Eagle, previously Defence Secretary, effectively demoted for expressing her support for the Trident nuclear deterrent against the wishes of party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Eagle was elected to Parliament as the MP for Liverpool Garston in 1997. She has been re-elected four times since (in 2001, 2005, 2010 and 2015).  She now represents the Constituency of Garston and Halewood.

In terms of her Culture, Media and Sport brief, Eagle played chess for Lancashire and England as a junior and also managed to play cricket for Lancashire on occasion. She describes herself as a lapsed cricketer and chess player though she enjoys watching Test Match cricket in particular and follows chess when she gets the chance.

Eagle was a Minister in the Labour Governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown between 2001 and 2010 when Labour lost office.

After Labour lost office at the 2010 General Election, Eagle was elected to the Shadow Cabinet and spent three years as Shadow Transport Secretary before being appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. In 2015, following Corbyn’s victory in the Labour leadership contest, she was appointed Shadow Defence Secretary until her move to Culture, Media and Sport.

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