Douglas Ross shakes up his frontbench team

Douglas Ross has reshuffled his frontbench. Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross visits the former Loanhead police station He is unveiling his party’s crime and justice manifesto pledges, which include the scrapping of Scotland’s not proven verdict. Other key policies are the creation of a Victims Law and a Local Policing Act.

Douglas Ross has reshuffled the Scottish Conservatives frontbench a day after Nicola Sturgeon revealed who she had appointed to Cabinet positions.

The Scottish Conservative leader said his new team was “ready to take the fight to the SNP from day one.”

Reflecting the new ministerial responsibilities, Murdo Fraser has become shadow to John Swinney's role as Cabinet Secretary for Covid recovery, while Liz Smith is back in a frontbench role, taking on the finance and economy brief, held in government by Kate Forbes.

The party’s former education spokesman Jamie Greene has been shifted to justice, while going up against new education secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville will be Oliver Mundell.

Annie Wells becomes shadow to Humza Yousaf at health and social care, and former justice spokesman Liam Kerr has been moved to the net zero, energy and transport brief.

Miles Briggs takes on social justice, housing and local government, Rachael Hamilton rural affairs and islands and taking on Angus Robertson as constitution secretary is Donald Cameron.

Former Tory MP Stephen Kerr is the group’s chief whip.

Mr Ross said: “Our new team of MSPs is determined to improve the lives of people all over the country by focusing 100 per cent on Scotland’s recovery and tackling the health and economic crisis we face.”

“Our shadow cabinet will work constructively with other parties to get things done but we are equally ready to be a strong opposition and take the fight to the SNP from day one They will drive forward at least 15 bills over the course of this parliamentary term as we start on the road to building Scotland’s real alternative to the SNP.”

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