Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has sacked one of his shadow cabinet secretaries as part of a frontbench reshuffle.Colin Smyth had been the party's spokesperson for energy, net zero, rural affairs, transport and economic development, but now finds himself out of Sarwar's top team.West Scotland MSPs Paul O'Kane and Neil Bibby have also been promoted to shadow cabinet roles.Sarwar declared his party is “election ready” as he announced the reshuffle on Monday morning.Scottish Labour’s deputy leader Jackie Baillie and shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray are taking on the roles of election co-ordinators.
A UK general election is expected to take place next year.Sarwar said Scottish Labour could win seats from the SNP and help “kick the Tories out” of power at Westminster.Recent polls have suggested a narrowing of the gap between the SNP and Labour in Scotland, while the party’s UK leader Sir Keir Starmer has also made a number of campaign trips north of the border in a bid to woo voters.Baillie takes on the role of general election campaign coordinator alongside her existing post as Scottish Labour's spokesperson on NHS recovery, health and social care and drugs policy.Fellow MSPs Carol Mochan and Paul Sweeney will also work on the health brief.
Mochan is the party’s spokeswoman for public health and women’s health, while Sweeney will speak on mental health and veterans issues.Daniel Johnson, who had been Scottish Labour’s finance and economy spokesman, is given a slightly changed brief, speaking for the party on economy, business and fair work.Michael Marra, who had been education spokesman, now moves to finance.
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