Anas Sarwar, the newly elected leader of Scottish Labour, has today unveiled appointments to a ‘campaign cabinet’ that will lead the party into the Holyrood elections taking place on May 6th.
Monica Lennon, Sarwar’s rival in the leadership election that concluded over the weekend, has been given a prominent role as Scottish Labour’s ‘economy and fair work’ spokesperson.
Commenting on the development, Lennon said: “Reshaping Scotland’s economy and prioritising jobs will be at the heart of Scottish Labour’s election campaign.
“I’m delighted to be leading on this as economy and fair work spokesperson. Anas Sarwar has appointed a fantastic campaign cabinet with key roles for new candidates.”
Jackie Baillie, the deputy who served as interim leader during the contest, will take on the health, social care and equalities brief, while Labour’s sole MP in Scotland Ian Murray will attend cabinet.
Michael Marra, a North East Scotland candidate, will be Scottish Labour’s education spokesperson, while Glasgow candidate Pam Duncan-Glancy will be responsible for social security.
Making the announcement, Sarwar said: “We are only weeks away from the Holyrood election and we have built a team from both the Parliament and our wider movement for our campaign cabinet.
“I am determined to bring our party together and harness all our talent, so that together we lead Scottish Labour into this contest with a firm focus on rebuilding our country.
“In the coming weeks we will outline our vision for Scotland, with an NHS restart plan, a catch-up plan for our children, and a real vision for jobs – for now, and for the future.
“We will focus on what unites our country – not what divides it – because by working together we can build a better future for Scotland.”
Below is the full list of appointments.
Campaign cabinet
| Leader | Anas Sarwar MSP |
| Deputy Leader and Health, Social Care and Equalities | Jackie Baillie MSP |
| Economy and Fair Work | Monica Lennon MSP |
| Finance | Daniel Johnson MSP |
| Education and Skills | Michael Marra |
| Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform | Sarah Boyack MSP |
| Justice | Neil Bibby MSP |
| Communities, Local Government and Housing | Pauline McNeill MSP |
| Constitution, Europe and External Affairs | Colin Smyth MSP |
| Social Security | Pam Duncan-Glancy |
| Culture | Claire Baker MSP |
| Rural Economy and Tourism | Rhoda Grant MSP |
| Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity | Alex Rowley MSP |
| Business Manager, Community Safety and Drugs Policy | James Kelly MSP |
Attending campaign cabinet
| Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland | Ian Murray MP |
| Chair of the SPLP + Business, Fair Work & Skills | Mark Griffin MSP |
Additional spokespeople
| COP26 spokesperson | Claudia Beamish MSP |
| Energy, Connectivity and the Islands | John Erskine |
| Children and Young People | Martin Whitfield |
| Further Education, Higher Education and Science | Paul O’Kane |
| Public Health and Sport | Monique McAdams |
| International Development | Katy Clark |
| Trade, Innovation and Public Finance | Paul Sweeney |
| Mental Health and Older People | Carol Mochan |
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