Labour's Scottish Parliament Leader Iain Gray announced today a Shadow Cabinet reshuffle to bring a new focus to Labour’s offensive at Holyrood over the coming year.

Iain Gray MSP said: "This is a big year ahead for Labour with the general election coming up and the need to prepare the groundwork for the Scottish elections in 2011.

"My first year as Labour leader was all about stability and exposing the SNP’s incompetence and how they have let Scotland down.

"The SNP record, or rather lack of it, says it all. Their flagship policies are in tatters. They abandoned their local income tax and the Scottish Futures Trust has been exposed as a total failure.

"Labour forced them to adopt a stronger Climate Change bill, include 8000 apprenticeship places in the budget and prevented the SNP privatising Scotland’s forests.

"Their litany of broken promises on education and their soft-touch approach to law and order would be embarrassing if they weren’t so damaging for Scotland.

"The SNP have let Scotland down during the recession by concentrating on a referendum that nobody wants and holding a National Conversation that no one is listening to."

You can see a full list of the Shadow Cabinet here.


CHANGES

FINANCE & ECONOMY
"Andy Kerr has exposed the SNP’s record as one of failure – LIT, SFT and over £2bn lost on public investment projects to the cost of over 25,000 jobs in the Scottish building industry. With the economy the big issue, Andy is freed up to concentrate all his efforts on Finance and the Economy portfolio.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT
"Michael McMahon will take on the new portfolio to liaise with local government which deals with one third of Scottish public expenditure. It is an area where key services - such as health, education, social care, provision for the elderly and people with disabilities - are delivered."

HOUSING AND REGENERATION
"Labour will bring Housing to the top of the agenda with Cathy Jamieson in charge of developing the plan to address Scotland’s housing crisis. The SNP have sidelined Housing as a footnote to the Health portfolio with cuts in the housing budget and lack of action on repossessions. Labour is keen to promote Housing and Regeneration as a key issue in Scottish politics despite the SNP neglect and complacency."

HEALTH
"Jackie Baillie, who has led campaigns on C Diff and disabled parking over the last year, will join the team as Shadow Health secretary."

EDUCATION
"Rhona Brankin will step down from the Education post for family reasons and be replaced by Des McNulty. Rhona has taken Fiona Hyslop to task as the worst Education minister since devolution began with broken promises on class sizes, school buildings and teacher numbers. However I have asked Rhona if she will continue her work on policy, particularly with the literacy commission, and I am pleased to say it will continue to be her priority."

ELECTIONS & CAMPAIGNS
"John Park, after his work coordinating the Glenrothes by-election and bringing forward the Modern Apprentices bill, has been promoted to Shadow Cabinet Secretary without Portfolio: Elections and Campaigns. John will work with the party at all levels to develop Labour’s Scottish Election Strategy and Labour’s distinctive offer to the people of Scotland."

PARLIAMENT
Paul Martin will become Labour’s business manager.

Johann Lamont, Chief of Staff & Equalities, Richard Baker (Justice), Sarah Boyack (Environment), Pauline McNeill (Culture and Constitution) and David Stewart (Chief Whip) will continue in their current posts.