Labour’s only Scottish MP overlooked for shadow Scottish secretary post

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has appointed an MP from England instead of the party’s only Scottish MP to serve as shadow Scottish secretary.

Tony Lloyd, the MP for Rochdale, has been chosen to replace Lesley Laird in the shadow cabinet role after she lost her seat in last week's general election, rather than Edinburgh South’s Ian Murray.

Lloyd will also keep his current role as shadow Northern Ireland secretary.

Murray previously served as shadow Scottish secretary for a year, but resigned in protest at Corbyn’s leadership following the EU referendum in 2016.

Speaking last week after all six of his fellow Scottish Labour MPs lost their seats, Murray called on Corbyn to step down as leader immediately.

He said: “This party must listen, this party must respond, or this party will die.

“The saddest indictment of this general election campaign is the delivery of a Conservative majority government with the worst prime minister this country has ever seen.”

Murray was also Labour’s only Scottish MP following the 2015 general election.