SCOTLAND’S only Labour MP has not been approached by Jeremy Corbyn to serve in his new shadow cabinet.
Ian Murray was among the first of Corbyn’s parliamentary group to resign from the frontbench post in June in a move which led to a massive rebellion and the triggering of a leadership contest.
Last month the Edinburgh South MP said he would only return as shadow Scottish Secretary if the Labour leader reinstated shadow cabinet elections – which he has not.
Asked by The National yesterday if he would be returning to his post, Murray said: “I haven’t been asked.”
The lack of a dedicated MP to the shadow Scottish brief continues to see shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Dave Anderson take responsibility for the additional role.
Major changes announced by Corbyn on Friday saw Diane Abbott take over as shadow home secretary, deputy leader Tom Watson take on the culture brief and former Liberty director Baroness Chakrabarti become shadow attorney general.
A series of senior MPs who quit in protest at Corbyn’s leadership have also returned to the fold including former Director of Public Prosecutions Sir Keir Starmer who returns as shadow Brexit secretary.
As Corbyn continued to reshuffle his team yesterday, his predecessor Ed Miliband said there was now an “acceptance” of his leadership among the parliamentary group.
The former Labour leader said there had been a change of attitude among MPs about Corbyn following his re-election.
But Miliband backed Corbyn and said Labour could “absolutely” win a general election under him, just weeks after supporting Smith for the leadership because he wanted someone who could make the party a “serious alternative government”.
The former leader revealed he was not invited “formally” to serve on Corbyn’s front bench and said he has “made clear for some time” that he is currently content on the back benches.
Asked if Labour could win an election under Corbyn, Miliband told BBC Two’s Victoria Derbyshire show: “Absolutely, absolutely. Look, he got re-elected by our party, we’ve got more members than I think we’ve had in 40 or 50 years, he has mobilised party members and people who weren’t party members in a way that even I didn’t do so. Now the task is for all of us to take this out to the country and convince the country.
“And I think there has been a change in terms of attitude and will among the parliamentary party since Jeremy’s re-election; I think there’s an acceptance that he won, an acceptance that people have got to work with him and support him.
“It doesn’t mean there won’t be disagreements, it doesn’t mean that there will be constant peace, but it does mean there’s a sense that we’ve got to focus on the country not the party.”
Some 17 have so far been confirmed in new positions: Jack Dromey, Pat Glass, Emma Lewell-Buck, Sharon Hodgson, Roberta Blackman-Woods, Paul Blomfield, Kevin Brennan, Jenny Chapman, Matthew Pennycook, Nick Thomas-Symonds, Keir Starmer, John Healey, Nia Griffith, Barbara Keeley, Jonathan Reynolds, Andrew Gwynne and Sarah Champion – who returned to the front bench in July.
But Corbyn was hit by two resignations on Sunday as whips Conor McGinn and Holly Lynch quit.
Their resignations followed the controversial sacking of chief whip Dame Rosie, who was replaced by Nick Brown.
Meanwhile, equality groups have accused Corbyn of misleading them over his appearance at an anti-racism rally linked to the Socialist Workers party on Saturday.
UK Black Lives Matter, Southall Black Sisters and Sisters Uncut are among the groups and individuals who have signed a joint statement saying that a spokesman for Corbyn had assured them that the Labour leader would not attend the event.
They had planned to issue an open letter to Corbyn calling on him to distance himself from the event. A letter was eventually published online, though its wording was changed after the signatories were told Corbyn would pull out.
But on Saturday, Corbyn and Abbott appeared on stage to cheers and a standing ovation from some 1,600 attendees at the Stand Up to Racism rally at Friends Meeting House in central London.
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