Scottish Labour Leader Kezia Dugdale MSP has announced her new front bench team. In a break from the past, appointments are not being made to “shadow” the current cabinet, but instead spokespeople have been appointed according to Labour values and priorities.

 

At the Punjabi Junction Cafe in Edinburgh this morning, Kezia said:

“The role of my front bench team will be to communicate Labour values. Too often people tell us they don’t know what Labour stands for. Under my leadership there will be no doubt about what we stand for and who we stand with. The job titles of my front bench team are part of that.

I want a Scotland where power, wealth and opportunity are in the hands of the many, not the few. I want a country where a young person’s ability to get on in life is determined by their potential, work rate and ambition, not by their background.

The idea of simply shadowing government ministers is outdated. Of course we must hold the SNP Government to account for its failings on schools, our NHS and policing – and we will do that.

But I want to shake things up and have a fresh start. We need to be out and about across Scotland. The key focus of every single member of my front bench team will be setting out a positive Labour vision of transforming Scotland.”

The new front bench team, which is gender balanced, is as follows:

Kezia Dugdale: Leader

Alex Rowley: Deputy Leader

Jenny Marra: Equality Spokesperson (Health, equalities, welfare, care and social inclusion)

Iain Gray: Opportunity Spokesperson (Schools, childcare, skills, lifelong learning, sport, science and workplace issues)

Graeme Pearson Justice Spokesperson (Justice and policing)

Jackie Baillie Public Services and Wealth Creation Spokesperson (Finance, infrastructure, business, delivery of public services and tourism)

Ken Macintosh Community Spokesperson (Housing, local government, cities, planning and island communities)

Sarah Boyack Environmental Justice Spokesperson (Transport, environment and rural affairs, land reform, climate change and energy including oil and gas)

Claire Baker Democracy Spokesperson (Constitution, Europe, culture and power in society)

Mary Fee Reform Spokesperson (Party and parliamentary reform)

James Kelly Business Manager (Parliamentary business)

Neil Bibby Chief Whip (Parliamentary business)

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6 thoughts on “Dugdale announces new front bench

  1. “Under my leadership there will be no doubt about what we stand for ”

    Kezia nice soundbite how about the Scottish Labour Party discussing and creating real polices for example on the following:-

    Trident

    Scottish Independence

  2. All fine and good for all those able to do the things which will make them well off rich or just better off, what will you do for the person with no legs or the person with an illness from birth or like me disabled due to an accident at work which made me paraplegic . The problem with Labour it did not think people were worthy unless they worked for a living remember the Hard working ideology of labour.

    But what happens to a twenty year old with no legs because he stepped on an IED or was shot.

    Labour lost the last election because people were just as well off under the Tories as they were under labour, England sent up Murphy and he was Progress and New labour until he saw that it was not being accepted, he then turned to the left but nobody accepted that one.

    What about the children and teens leaving school with a bog standard education, what will you do for then and the pensioners and as I said before the sick and the disabled.

    What will you do with those who try and try but cannot find employment maybe because they were young did something wrong went to court.

    These are the people labour were formed to help although one would not think so of late, if your going to return to the right and Progress and new labour I will not vote for you.

  3. For Scottish Labour’s hard working activists, it must seem a lifetime since Cara Hilton won her by-election by claiming Labour supported free prescriptions and credit for a freeze on council tax. Two political lifetimes if we include Lamont and Murphy.
    The new team looks very much like the old team, but talent in not limitless among the Labour MSP’s, and even for this elite, the sunset beckons.
    Who will be the NEW faces on Labour’s benches next year?
    I suspect they will be weel kent remnants of Westminsters Ancien Regime.
    Same old, same old!

  4. I would be really interested to know if Corbyn becomes Leader and the party drifts back over to the left will it re-introduce its previous position and support for Scottish Home Rule? Will we see a Labour left run on a mandate of Devo Max for Scotland?
    If it did where would the present Scottish party leadership fall on the issue?

    A credible promise mind you not another 1000 more nurses than the SNP farce.

  5. If Jeremy wins how will Ms Dugdale and her motley crew add to the ensuing revolution without Neil Findlay to guide them?

  6. “Under my leadership there will be no doubt about what we stand for ”

    How can she say that when she doesn’t know who the next leader is going to be to tell her where she stands?

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