Labour's new MPs are denied promotion

JOHN SMITH yesterday reshaped Labour's Commons frontbench team, dropping some old hands, but conspicuously avoiding early promotion for the 69 Labour members who entered Parliament for the first time last April.

Predictions of a sharp cut in the size of the team have not been fulfilled. There are 77 frontbenchers, only slightly down on the 85 places when Neil Kinnock stood down. There are 270 Labour MPs.

The biggest transfusion of fresh blood has been given to the health team headed by David Blunkett. He is joined by three MPs none of whom has had a frontbench job. His deputy will be Dawn Primarolo, MP for Bristol South, who has gradually shed a Bennite image.

Some rebellions have been forgiven, notably in the case of Clare Short, MP for Birmingham Ladywood, who has had jobs twice before and now becomes deputy to Chris Smith on environmental protection. She resigned over the Gulf War and was sacked in 1988 when she took a stronger line than the party against renewal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

The number of women on the Labour front bench has risen from 11 to 13. Joan Ruddock, MP for Lewisham Deptford and the former chair of CND, is promoted from number three in the transport team to number two on home affairs and Kate Hoey, MP for Vauxhall, moves on to the front bench to deal with the Citizen's Charter and women's issues.

Keith Vaz, MP for Leicester East, becomes the first Asian MP to get a frontbench job. Paul Boateng, the black barrister MP for Brent South, moves from the Treasury to a solo job shadowing the Lord Chancellor's Department. Tony Banks, MP for Newham North West, takes on responsibility for London affairs.

The new Labour MPs have been left to serve more time on the back benches. Those no longer on the front bench include Jo Richardson, who lost her Shadow Cabinet place in last week's ballot, Clive Soley, a housing specialist, and Stuart Randall, a long-serving home affairs spokesman.

The Labour front bench with the names of Shadow Cabinet members in bold:

Leader of the Opposition: John Smith; shadow Leader of the Commons and Campaign Co-ordination: Margaret Beckett, Nick Brown; Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs: Jack Cunningham, George Robertson, Allan Rogers, Bruce Grocott; Treasury and Economic Affairs: Gordon Brown, shadow Chancellor, Harriet Harman, shadow Chief Secretary, Alistair Darling, Andrew Smith, Nick Brown; Home Affairs: Tony Blair, Joan Ruddock, Alun Michael, Graham Allen; Trade and Industry: Robin Cook, Martin O'Neill (Energy), Derek Fatchett, Nigel Griffiths, Stuart Bell, Jim Cousins; Transport: John Prescott, Peter Snape, Joan Walley, Tony Banks (London); Defence, Disarmament and Arms Control: David Clark, George Foulkes, John Reid, Eric Martlew; Environmental Protection: Chris Smith, Clare Short; Environment (Local Government): Jack Straw, John Battle, Doug Henderson, Keith Vaz, Peter Pike, Tony Banks (London); Employment: Frank Dobson, Tony Lloyd (Training), Joyce Quin, Sam Galbraith; Education: Ann Taylor, Jeff Rooker, Win Griffiths; Social Security: Donald Dewar, Keith Bradley, Llin Golding; Health: David Blunkett, Dawn Primarolo, Ian McCartney, David Hinchliffe; Scotland: Tom Clarke, Henry McLeish, John McFall, Maria Fyfe; Wales: Ann Clwyd, Paul Murphy, Rhodri Morgan; Overseas Development: Michael Meacher, Tony Worthington; Citizen's Charter and Women: Marjorie Mowlam, Brian Wilson, Lewis Moonie, Kate Hoey; National Heritage: Bryan Gould, Robin Corbett, Tom Pendry; Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs: Ron Davies, Elliot Morley, Dale Campbell-Savours; Northern Ireland: Kevin McNamara, Roger Stott, Bill O'Brien; Law Officers: John Morris, John Fraser; Lord Chancellor's Department: Paul Boateng; Disabled People's Rights: Barry Sheerman; Chief Whip: Derek Foster; Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party: Doug Hoyle.