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The SNP unveils the new MPs who will make up its Westminster frontbench team

Many newly elected MPs will take centre stage in the party

Thursday 21 May 2015 11:04 BST

Nicola Sturgeon is joined by the SNP's 56 newly elected MPs in front of the Forth Rail Bridge in an earlier ceremony (Getty Images)

The Scottish National Party has unveiled its Westminster frontbench team as it stakes claim to its status as the UK’s third biggest party.

The party has appointed a 17-strong “group leadership” on main issues as well as a 32 spokespeople meaning most of its 56 MPs have an official role.

Angus Robertson will remain the party’s Westminster group leader, with Stewart Hosie its deputy.

Two-time former leader Alex Salmond takes the position of international affairs and Europe, a role that could be highly prominent in the coming EU referendum campaign.

Mr Robertson MP said in a statement that he was proud of the team’s gender balance and its incorporation of newly elected MPs.

“The SNP Westminster Leadership and team of spokespeople bring together a great range of talents from the record-sized SNP group in the House of Commons,” he said.

“We will coordinate and develop the policy priorities of the SNP at Westminster while working closely with colleagues in the Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament, European Parliament and local government.

The major political figures who lost out in the General Election

Show all 16

1/16The major political figures who lost out in the General Election

The major political figures who lost out in the General Election

Ed Balls

Ed Balls lost his seat in what was the biggest shock of an extraordinary night of election results. His defeat in compounded Labour's woes in a dismal night, which saw the party lose all but one of its Scottish MPs and will undoubtedly lead to Ed Miliband standing down.

The major political figures who lost out in the General Election

Nigel Farage

OK, so he came close to being upstaged by a professional comedian – Al Murray aka the Pub Landlord, had also lost in South Thanet. But as he lost his fight to become an MP and resigned his Ukip leadership, Nigel Farage did manage to get in a few gags. He began by railing against the editors of the The Sun and the Daily Mail, sarcastically calling them “geniuses”. But perhaps bearing the last election in mind, when he was in intensive care following an air crash, he said after the result that he felt “pretty good”. “Never felt happier,” in fact. A weight lifted off the old shoulders. Quite right too, old boy. More time for the saloon bar and a pint, or five.

AFP/Getty Images

The major political figures who lost out in the General Election

Vince Cable

A huge scalp for the Conservatives, even though he was part of their coalition government. The Liberal Democrat Business Secretary lost his Twickenham seat to Tory candidate Tania Mathias. Cable had held the seat since 1997 and was a strong figure in the Lib Dems, having previously been deputy leader.

Christopher Furlong | Getty Images

The major political figures who lost out in the General Election

Jim Murphy

A sign of how dire things are in Scotland now for the Labour party. The leader of the Scottish Labour Party, Jim Murphy, lost his Renfrewshire East to the SNP, having held the seat since 2005. He held a number of cabinet positions under the administrations of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

Jeff J Mitchell | Getty Images

The major political figures who lost out in the General Election

Danny Alexander

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Nick Clegg's right-hand man, Danny Alexander, lost his seat of Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey to the SNP. His aides admitted defeat several hours before the formal decision was due. There were suggestions that the SNP vote could be as high as 50 per cent.

BEN STANSALL | AFP | Getty Images

The major political figures who lost out in the General Election

Esther McVey

The Minister of State for Employment and one of the few women in David Cameron’s male-dominate cabinet, Esther McVey had only held Wirral West since 2010. Her 2,436 majority was overturned and Labour's Margaret Greenwood won the seat with a 417 majority.

BEN STANSALL | AFP | Getty Images

The major political figures who lost out in the General Election

George Galloway

The former Labour MP had held the seat of Bradford West since 2012 for the Respect Party. He previously held the constituency of Bethnal Green and Bow for Respect between 2005 and 2010, although he unsuccessfully contested Poplar and Limehouse in 2010.

Nigel Roddis | Getty Images

The major political figures who lost out in the General Election

Charles Kennedy

Another huge Lib Dem scalp, with the SNP taking the seat of Ross, Skye and Lochaber from the former leader of the party. Kennedy had led the Lib Dems between 1999 and 2006 and had become something of an elder statesman of the party. He conceded defeat ahead of the official declaration and said he would not give any TV interviews. He had been an MP since 1983.

Jeff J Mitchell | Getty Images

The major political figures who lost out in the General Election

Douglas Alexander

The shadow Foreign Secretary and Ed Miliband's Chair of General Election Strategy, Danny Alexander had been the MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South since 1997. He lost his seat to the SNP, with the party now holding a 9,076 majority. Labour's share of the vote was down by 21.3 per cent.

Jeff J Mitchell | Getty Images

The major political figures who lost out in the General Election

Simon Hughes

Simon Hughes held a key Liberal Democrat seat in London, Bermondsey and Old Southwark, which he held from 1983. Hughes is a former deputy leader of the Lib Dems and had been minister of state at the Ministry of Justice since 2013. He was previously the President of the party, as well as a two-time leadership candidate, and stood for the party in the 2004 Mayoral election.

Rob Stothard | Getty Images

The major political figures who lost out in the General Election

Mark Reckless

An MP for Rochester and Strood since 2010, Reckless switched from the Conservatives to Ukip in September 2014 and winning the seat outright in November. He was the second Ukip MP after Douglas Carswell, and his loss is a huge blow to Nigel Farage’s party.

Carl Court | Getty Images

The major political figures who lost out in the General Election

Margaret Curran

Margaret Curran had held Glasgow East since 2010 and was the shadow Secretary of State for Scotland. She had previously been the MSP for Glasgow Baillieston (a seat she might wish she still held, as it is still held by Labour under the title Glasgow Provan).

Jeff J Mitchell | Getty Images

The major political figures who lost out in the General Election

David Laws

A Liberal Democrat MP for Yeovil since 2001, he was the minister of state for Schools. He had briefly been Chief Secretary to the Treasury after the 2010 election, only holding the office for 17 days after resigning due to the disclosure of his Parliamentary expenses claims. Laws was a key negotiator for the Lib Dems when the coalition was being formed five years ago.

Jeff J Mitchell | Getty Images

The major political figures who lost out in the General Election

Jo Swinson

On her election in 2005, she was the youngest member of the House of Commons. Under the Coalition government, the Lib Dem MP was the Under-Secretary of State for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs and for Women and Equalities. She lost her seat of East Dunbartonshire to the SNP's John Nicholson.

Matthew Lloyd | Getty Images

The major political figures who lost out in the General Election

Ed Davey

The Liberal Democrat Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey had been the MP for Kingston and Surbiton since 1997. Davey championed the Lib Dems' role in ensuring the Conservative-led Coalition championed the green agenda. However, the well-known Lib Dem MP lost his seat to the Tories, having held the seat in 2010 by 7,560 votes.

Jeff J Mitchell | Getty Images

The major political figures who lost out in the General Election

Lynne Featherstone

Lynne Featherstone lost her London seat of Hornsey and Wood Green to the Labour party. She was a former junior Home Office minister with responsibility for equality, then becoming junior minister with responsibility for international development.

Dan Kitwood | Getty Images

“I’m proud that we have been able to follow the lead of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in having a gender balanced team of spokespeople as well as matching the experience of long serving SNP parliamentarians and newly elected MPs.

“All SNP parliamentarians will be working in policy teams, with many taking up committee places when the committees start their work shortly in the House of Commons.”

Eilidh Whiteford will lead on social justice and welfare, with newcomer Joanna Cherry covering Home Affairs. Brendan O’Hara will represent the party on defence.

The party has more MPs in Westminster than it has ever had after it won a landslide victory in Scotland at the general election this month.

The party left Labour, the Liberal Democrats, and the Conservatives with one seat each in Scotland, taking the rest for itself.

It leapfrogged the Liberal Democrats, who were part of the last parliament’s Coalition government, as Britain’s third largest party.

The full list of SNP Westminster posts is:

Westminster group leadership
Angus Robertson MP - Group Leader and Constitution
Stewart Hosie MP - Deputy Group Leader and Economy
Eilidh Whiteford MP - Social Justice and Welfare
Joanna Cherry MP - Justice & Home Affairs
Alex Salmond MP - International Affairs and Europe
Brendan O’Hara MP - Defence
Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh MP - Trade and Investment
Hannah Bardell MP - Fair Work and Employment
Drew Hendry MP - Transport
Calum Kerr MP - Environment and Rural Affairs
Callum McCaig MP - Energy and Climate Change
Carol Monaghan MP - Public Services and Education
Michelle Thomson MP – Business, Innovation and Skills
Philippa Whitford MP - Health
Pete Wishart MP - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Mike Weir MP - Chief Whip
Deidre Brock MP - Scottish Parliament/Scottish Government Liaison

Westminster SNP Spokespeople

Scotland and Constitution
Margaret Ferrier MP, SNP Spokesperson on the Scotland Office
Tommy Sheppard MP, SNP Spokesperson on the Cabinet Office
Deidre Brock MP, SNP Spokesperson on Devolved Government Relations
Kirsty Blackman MP, SNP Spokesperson on House of Lords

Economy
Roger Mullin MP, SNP Spokesperson the Treasury
John Nicolson MP, SNP Spokesperson on Culture, Media and Sport
Alison Thewliss MP, SNP Spokesperson on Cities

Social Justice and Welfare
Ian Blackford MP, SNP Spokesperson on Pensions
Natalie McGarry MP, SNP Spokesperson on Disabilities

Justice and Home Affairs
Stuart McDonald MP, SNP Spokesperson on Immigration, Asylum and Border Control
Angela Crawley MP, SNP Spokesperson on Equalities, Women and Children
Anne McLaughlin MP, SNP Spokesperson on Civil Liberties

International Affairs
Stephen Gethins MP, SNP Spokesperson on Europe
Patrick Grady MP, SNP Spokesperson on International Development
Lisa Cameron MP, SNP Spokesperson on Climate Justice

Defence
Kirsten Oswald MP, SNP Spokesperson on the Armed Forces and Veterans

SNP Whips Office
Mike Weir MP, SNP Chief Whip
Marion Fellows MP and Owen Thompson MP

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