Jim Murphy MP, who was elected as leader of Scottish Labour on Saturday, made the annoucement today (Tuesday).

Speaking to the Advertiser about her new role as Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy, Ms Baillie said: “Over the past year and a half I have worked hard as spokesperson for Social Justice, Equalities and Welfare to challenge the Scottish Government on its poor record of tackling poverty. One of my proudest achievements was working with trade unionists, churches and campaigners to successfully force the SNP to back down over the bedroom tax and provide help to some of the most vulnerable tenants in Scotland.

“I was delighted when Jim Murphy asked me to join his frontbench team and look forward to the challenges ahead in my new role. With full power over income tax agreed by the cross-party Smith Commission, the Scottish Parliament will be a powerhouse parliament and we will set out our vision for using those powers to create a fairer economy and society for everyone in Scotland.” Mr Murphy said: “Every previous member of the shadow cabinet has been moved. It’s a fresh start, a new team and I think this is a combination of real talent, a combination of real experience and some fresh faces and I’m confident this can be a team that can take Scotland forward.

“There are people there who campaigned against me, both of the candidates who also stood for leader are there, people who voted for me first in the ballot, second in the ballot, third in the ballot and even someone who didn’t vote for anyone in the ballot.

“So it’s a team of all our talents across the spectrum of the Labour party and I’m really delighted today.” He also said he plans to rewrite his party’s constitution to stress that Labour will run its own affairs in Scotland.

It follows a stinging attack by his predecessor, Johann Lamont, who accused the Labour Party of running the party like a ‘branch office’ of London’.

She also described some of her Westminster colleagues as dinosaurs who do not understand that the referendum changed politics in Scotland.