Kezia Dugdale announces new front bench team

Kezia Dugdale has today unveiled her new front bench team.  The Scottish Labour leader said campaigning against the SNP Government’s cuts and for using the powers of the Parliament to invest in the future of our economy will be the key approach of her front bench team over the next five years.

Dugdale herself will take on the finance brief, placing Labour’s anti-austerity message at the heart of the party’s campaigning. There is a 50-50 gender balance in the shadow cabinet, which contains four new appointments – Anas Sarwar, Lewis Macdonald, Claudia Beamish and Rhoda Grant.

All six of the party’s new MSPs have been appointed to roles within the front bench team. North East MSP Jenny Marra will be Labour’s first nominee for a committee convenership.

Kezia Dugdale said:

“The big issue in Scottish politics over the next few years is how the Scottish Government uses the powers of the Parliament to stop the cuts and invest in the future. By taking on the finance role myself I am showing just how important our anti-austerity message is to the Labour Party. To build the kind of economy we need to create a better future for our young people we need to invest in education. That’s what I will focus on in the next few years.

This is a strong front-bench team that will hold the SNP Government to account and set out Labour’s positive vision for investing in the future of Scotland. We will work constructively on areas where we agree with the government. Having lost their majority the SNP Government will face a big choice – they can either work with centre-left parties like Labour to stop the cuts and invest in our economy, or they can work with the Tories who want government to cut more and invest less.”

Scottish Labour’s full front bench team is as follows:

  • Leader and Finance Spokesperson
    Kezia Dugdale
  • Deputy Leader and Community, Social Security and Equalities spokesperson
    Alex Rowley

    Shadow Community Ministers
    Mark Griffin
    Pauline McNeill

  • Education, Skills and Science spokesperson
    Iain Gray

    Shadow Education Minister
    Daniel Johnson

  • Health spokesperson
    Anas Sarwar

    Shadow Health Minister
    Colin Smyth

    Shadow Minister for Inequality (working across the Health and Education teams)
    Monica Lennon

  • Culture, Sport, Tourism and External spokesperson
    Lewis Macdonald
  • Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform spokesperson
    Claudia Beamish

    Shadow Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform
    David Stewart

  • Rural Economy and Connectivity spokesperson
    Rhoda Grant

    Shadow Minister for Transport and Town Centres
    Neil Bibby

  • Economy, Fair Work and Jobs spokesperson
    Jackie Baillie

    Shadow Economy Minister
    Richard Leonard

  • Justice spokesperson
    Claire Baker

    Shadow Minister for Justice
    Mary Fee

  • Parliamentary Business Manager and Minister Without Portfolio
    James Kelly

    Whips
    Mark Griffin
    Colin Smyth

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One thought on “Kezia Dugdale announces new front bench team

  1. Neil Findlay? Elaine Smith? Official email to the members with this announcement?

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