Scottish Labour’s new deputy leader has landed a plum job in the shadow cabinet - eighteen months after Richard Leonard fired her.
Jackie Baillie will be announced as her party’s new finance spokesperson, which includes leading on budget negotiations.
She has also been made "campaign co-ordinator" for the next Holyrood election, with political oversight of party organisation.
A party insider said: “It’s a really good appointment. Jackie will bring experience and professionalism to the role.”
Baillie, who represents Dumbarton, has been an MSP since 1999 and was a member of Donald Dewar’s Cabinet.
She had been economy spokeswoman in Leonard’s shadow cabinet, but she and fellow moderate Anas Sarwar were sacked in October 2018.
After former MP Lesley Laird stood down as Scottish Labour deputy leader, she contested the post and defeated councillor Matt Kerr this month.
Leonard, the leader, has put his past differences with Baillie to one side and brought her back to his top team.
Rhoda Grant, who had held the finance brief, is becoming chief whip, and will have portfolio responsibility for poverty, employment, retirement and inequality.
MSP Dave Stewart is stepping down from the shadow cabinet.
Baillie was a board member of the cross-party Better Together campaign in 2014.
She opposes indyref2 and sits on the Holyrood committee set up to scrutinise the SNP Government’s botched probe into misconduct allegations into Alex Salmond.
