Nicola Sturgeon faces Kezia Dugdale for first time

The pair will go head to head at today's FMQs. Pictures: Ian Rutherford/John Devlin

Kezia Dugdale has been charged with questioning Ms Sturgeon at the showpiece Holyrood clash as new Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy does not yet have a seat in the Scottish Parliament.

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Mr Murphy, the MP for East Renfrewshire, will later hold his first shadow cabinet meeting in Edinburgh, before going on to meet the First Minister for talks.

It comes after he announced a major reshuffle of his Holyrood frontbench team on Tuesday, describing it as a “fresh start” for the party.

Mr Murphy also praised Ms Dugdale, saying she would “do a brilliant job as deputy leader of the Scottish Labour Party”.

A spokesman for Scottish Labour said : “Our new deputy leader, Kez Dugdale, is looking forward to the opportunity of questioning the First Minister and to hold her to account for the actions or lack of them by her SNP Government.

“Later, she’ll attend the first meeting of the new shadow cabinet with new leader Jim Murphy, where they will start to put together their plans for taking Scottish Labour’s message across the country.”

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