Tory shadow cabinet
Ballantyne dropped as Carlaw unveils ‘team to take on SNP’
Tory team line-up (pic: Terry Murden)
Scottish Conservative party leader Jackson Carlaw has excluded his leadership rival Michelle Ballantyne from his new shadow cabinet.
Mr Carlaw, announcing his new team to fight next year’s Scottish election, said she would be offered a new role.
Ms Ballantyne criticised his interim leadership during her campaign in which she was defeated by 4917 votes to 1581.
She accused him of “trying to undermine my campaign through secret recordings, leaks to the press and tall tales from the shadow cabinet room”.
Mr Carlaw hit back by saying Ms Ballantyne was the only member of former leader Ruth Davidson’s Shadow Cabinet not to submit “a single policy proposal”.
In a reshuffle announced on Tuesday, her social security portfolio was handed to Graham Simpson, who now becomes shadow cabinet secretary for housing, communities and social security.
Jackson Carlaw: ‘We’ve got the best team’ (pic: Terry Murden)
Ms Ballantyne is expected to become convener of the Economy, Fair Work and Culture Committee.
Peter Chapman loses the rural economy portfolio, with new party chairwoman Rachael Hamilton appointed shadow secretary for rural economy and tourism.
Mr Carlaw also dropped Gordon Lindhurst from the shadow cabinet, with Maurice Golden taking over the economy, fair work and culture brief. Donald Cameron has moved to become shadow cabinet secretary for finance while Dean Lockhart becomes Shadow Business, Infrastructure and Transport Secretary.
Joint deputy leaders would be Annie Wells and Liam Kerr. Ms Wells has also been announced as shadow cabinet secretary for environment, climate change, land reform and COP26, and Mr Kerr stays on as shadow justice secretary.
Murdo Fraser will confront Michael Russell as shadow Constitution Secretary while Liz Smith has been replaced as shadow cabinet secretary for education by Jamie Green, with Smith moved to the position of chief whip.
Adam Tomkins takes on the newly-created role of shadow cabinet secretary for strategy.
Mr Carlaw said: “This is a brand new shadow cabinet designed to take on the SNP leading up to May 2021, and take the Scottish Conservatives into government after it.
“We’ve got the best people fighting in the best places, and they’re going to bring us onto the next level.
The full Conservative shadow cabinet:
Leader – Jackson Carlaw MSP
Deputy Leaders:
– Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Justice – Liam Kerr MSP
– Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change, Environment, Land Reform and COP26 – Annie Wells MSP
Chief Whip – Liz Smith MSP
Deputy Whip – Alexander Stewart MSP
Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance – Donald Cameron MSP
Shadow Minister for Finance – Alexander Burnett MSP
Shadow Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution and External Affairs – Murdo Fraser MSP
Shadow Minister for Constitution and External Affairs – Oliver Mundell MSP
Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health – Miles Briggs MSP
Shadow Cabinet Minister for Health – Brian Whittle MSP
Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education – Jamie Greene MSP
Shadow Minister for Education – Jamie Halcro Johnston MSP
Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture – Maurice Golden MSP
Shadow Minister for Economy, Fair Work and Culture – Alison Harris MSP
Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Business, Infrastructure and Transport – Dean Lockhart MSP
Shadow Minister for Business, Infrastructure and Transport – Gordon Lindhurst MSP
Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Tourism – Rachael Hamilton MSP
Shadow Minister for Rural Economy and Tourism – Peter Chapman MSP
Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Communities and Social Security – Graham Simpson MSP
Shadow Minister for Housing, Communities and Social Security – Jeremy Balfour MSP
Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Strategy – Adam Tomkins MSP
Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment, Land Reform and COP26 – Finlay Carson MSP
Committee Conveners
Economy, Fair Work and Culture – Michelle Ballantyne MSP*
Rural Economy & Connectivity – Edward Mountain MSP
Justice – Margaret Mitchell MSP
Delegated Powers & Law Reform – Bill Bowman MSP*
Vice Chairmen for Campaigning
Miles Briggs MSP
Alexander Burnett MSP
