Gordon Brown Successor Lesley Laird Given Shadow Cabinet Post In Labour Reshuffle

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Smith, who was an adviser to Northern Ireland secretary Paul Murphy in the last Labour government, was a fierce critic of Corbyn when he stood against him in the aftermath of the Brexit vote.

Gwynne has also been appointed as shadow communities secretary.

Lesley Laird was named to Mr Corbyn's front bench team less than a week after winning the Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency last week.

He retains the co-national campaign coordinator role alongside Mr Lavery.

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Brent MP Dawn Butler, a longtime Corbyn loyalist who resigned over the party's stance on article 50, will return as shadow minister for diverse communities. Otherwise, he has stuck with the group of MPs who were loyal to him following last summer's attempted coup, when nearly the entire shadow cabinet resigned in an attempt to force Corbyn to quit.

Corbyn said of Laird's appointment: "I am delighted to appoint Lesley as shadow Scottish secretary".

But a spokesman for Mr Corbyn said the five appointments are the only changes being made to the shadow cabinet.

The Labour leader said Ms Laird "brings a wealth of knowledge and practical real life experience to the Commons", while Kezia Dugdale paid tribute to bother her predecessors, saying Mr Anderson and Mr Murray "helped to rebuild our party". "I know that she will do a fantastic job holding this miserable Tory government to account". My priorities are the things that people told me are important to them in the general election campaign: "that's jobs, housing and public services". I look forward to working with the strengthened shadow cabinet as we prepare a government in waiting to carry out our manifesto for the many not the few.

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