 THE MP Tom Watson won a dramatic promotion to the Shadow Cabinet yesterday in recognition of his dogged campaign to expose phone hacking as Ed Miliband moved to give Labour's top team a sharper edge.  He installed new faces in the key health and education posts and promoted five MPs elected for the first time in 2010. They include Rachel Reeves and Chuka Umunna, both 32, who were handed prominent posts marking them out as the party's fastest-rising stars.  Mr Watson resigned as a minister more than two years ago to pursue claims that News of the World journalists had routinely hacked mobile phones. He is rewarded with the post of Labour's deputy chair and campaign co-ordinator, but will retain his seat on the Commons Culture Select Committee, which is investigating phone hacking.  Mr Miliband was free to remould his team after pushing through a rule change that scrapped elections for the Shadow Cabinet amongst Labour MPs.  The nine new names include Stephen Twigg, the former Schools Minister who lost his parliamentary seat in 2005 but returned last year. He was made shadow Education Secretary in succession to andy Burnham, who takes over the health brief. Mr Burnham will spearhead Labour's opposition to andrew Lansley's controversial NHS reforms.  Ms Reeves, a former economist, was promoted to shadow Chief Treasury Secretary, where she will oppose the Liberal Democrat Danny alexander who is overseeing spending cuts and reform of public sector pay and pensions. Mr Umunna, who along with Ms Reeves has been tipped as a future Labour leader, was appointed shadow Business Secretary, where he will have to prove his mettle against Vince Cable. He takes over from John Denham, who steps down from the Shadow Cabinet.  another member of Labour's "Class of 2010", Margaret Curran, was made shadow Scottish Secretary with the task of leading the fight-back against the resurgent Scottish National Party.  Two other MPs landed plum jobs after only 18 months in the Commons. Liz Kendall was made shadow minister for Care and Older People and Michael Dugher a shadow minister without portfolio. The Conservatives described the reshuffle as a Brownite takeover, claiming that almost two-thirds of the Shadow Cabinet are known supporters of Gordon Brown. Labour dismissed that as "nonsense", saying the faction-fighting of the Blair-Brown era is over and that Mr Miliband had appointed people on merit.  The Labour leader's main goal was to sharpen up the performance of his top team after criticism that it was not landing enough blows on the Government. He also wants to ensure a more co-ordinated assault on the Coalition. "We have been a collection of individuals rather than playing as a team," one opposition frontbencher admitted.  Mr Miliband said: "My decision to appoint half a dozen members of the 2010 intake shows the talent that Labour has and the way in which this new generation can join us in taking Labour's agenda forward."  THE NEW FaCES IN THE SHaDOW CaBINET....  TOM WaTSON  Labour Party Deputy Chair and Campaign Co-ordinator  Confidant of Gordon Brown who fought a lonely battle against News International on phone-hacking. Is now a Labour hero; his name was cheered at the party conference.  STEPHEN TWIGG  Shadow Education Secretary  Defeated Michael Portillo in true-blue Enfield Southgate in 1997, but lost the seat in 2005. Returned as MP for Liverpool West Derby. Former schools minister.  VERNON COaKER  Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary  Former deputy headmaster who was police minister in the last Government. ally of Ed Balls, and popular within the party.  MaRGaRET CURRaN  Shadow Scottish Secretary  Only an MP for 17 months, but has long experience of Labour politics in Scotland. Was defeated at Glasgow East by-election in 2008, but won it back in 2010.  LIZ KENDaLL (below)  Shadow Minister for Care and Older People  Has a background as special adviser (to Harriet Harman and Patricia Hewitt) and policy wonk, regarded as one of the brightest of the 2010 intake.  MICHaEL DUGHER  Shadow Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)  Earned his spurs as Gordon Brown's spokesman. Born and bred in South Yorkshire and now MP for Barnsley East. Strong union links.  EMILY THORNBERRY  Shadow attorney General  Former barrister who has been MP for Islington South and Finsbury for six years. Previously a health spokeswoman.  RaCHEL REEVES  Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury  There was little doubt Rachel Reeves would be handed a financial brief. Before her election, she worked as an economist at the Bank of England (specialising in quantitative easing), the British Embassy in Washington and the Bank of Scotland. Her husband is a senior Treasury official.  She is by instinct a New Labour-style moderniser, but is respected across the party and persuaded Gordon Brown to write the foreword last year to her book Why Vote Lab 