Jeremy Corbyn’s full frontbench team unveiled
Mr Corbyn says he has reached out to all sections of the party to form his team.
Jeremy Corbyn has finalised his frontbench line-up, appointing a peer jailed for arson to his education team.
Lord Watson – a former MP and MSP – was given a 16-month jail sentence in 2005 for starting a fire at an Edinburgh hotel. He was suspended from the party, but regained the whip in 2012.
The SNP said his appointment as an education spokesman was “bizarre”.
Labour said the peer was rehabilitated and it was “right he should be allowed to play a full part in public life”.
Mr Corbyn also gave roles to 16 MPs who nominated him for leader and supporters of other leadership candidates.
Others given briefs include ex-director of public prosecutions Keir Starmer, who joins the Home Office team.
In 2005, Lord Watson admitted setting fire to a curtain at the Scottish Politician of the Year awards at Edinburgh’s Prestonfield House Hotel.
The flames destroyed a curtain and burned a curtain pole. Smoke spread over the walls and ceiling before staff managed to extinguish the blaze.
An SNP spokesman said: “This is a bizarre appointment; it reflects how Jeremy Corbyn seems to be scrambling around for people to work with, which in turn is further proof of the deep divisions within the Labour Party.”
‘Corbynista’ appointments
Mr Corbyn announced his shadow cabinet last Monday, saying it was the first time that women had filled the majority of posts.
However, he was criticised for giving the jobs of shadow chancellor, shadow foreign secretary and shadow home secretary to men.
Mr Corbyn has now published his full frontbench line-up. Of these, 16 nominated him for leader.
Among so-called “Corbynistas” given shadow jobs include five MPs elected in May: Clive Lewis at energy, Catherine West at the Foreign Office, Rebecca Long Bailey and Richard Burgon at the Treasury and Cat Smith at women and equalities.
Women promoted include Chi Onwurah, who joins the shadow business team, Louise Haigh, part of the shadow cabinet office team and Sarah Champion, who gets the new role of shadow minister for preventing abuse.
Emily Thornberry, meanwhile, returns to the frontbench as work and pensions spokeswoman.
She was sacked as shadow attorney general by Ed Miliband last November amid a row over a tweet she sent during the Rochester and Strood by-election which showed a terraced house with three England flags, and a white van parked outside.
‘EU surrender’
More than a dozen shadow ministers under Ed Miliband have refused to serve under Mr Corbyn, citing differences over economic policy, defence and foreign affairs.
But a number of MPs who backed other candidates have been kept in important roles, notably Pat McFadden as shadow Europe minister. Mr McFadden, who is on the right of the party, is a vocal supporter of the UK remaining in the EU.
Mr Corbyn has been accused by UKIP leader Nigel Farage of “abject surrender” on the issue of Europe after he told the Financial Times that Labour would definitely campaign for the UK to remain in the EU in the forthcoming referendum.
In the days after his victory, Mr Corbyn – the most eurosceptic Labour leader for years – had seemingly given himself room for manoeuvre by saying that David Cameron should not be given a “blank cheque” in his negotiations with other EU leaders. But he firmed up his stance amid concerns from Labour MPs.
Mr Farage told LBC Radio that Mr Corbyn was highly critical of the EU in private but had backed down for “tactical” reasons.
“He has completely failed. I think he’s failed many of his supporters, who thought he was a man of principle. But more importantly, for our democracy, he’s failing to provide opposition on the greatest political issue of the day.”
IMAGES:
Jeremy Corbyn at his first shadow cabinet meeting Image copyright PA
Lord Mike Watson in 2005Image copyright PA Image caption Lord Watson, pictured in 2005, set fire to a curtain at an award ceremony
Cat Smith MP Image caption Cat Smith is among the “class of 2015” to be given jobs
Keir Starmer Image copyright PA Image caption While Keir Starmer joins the Home Office team
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