WINNERS

Kezia Dugdale, Education

KEZ Dugdale, 31, has been a one-woman charm offensive since entering Holyrood two years ago. She worked previously for George Foulkes in his constituency office. Lord Foulkes could turn the Holyrood canteen menu into a diplomatic incident but his successor has taken a different tack. Born in Aberdeen, she studied law at university there before switching to policy studies at Edinburgh University, where she worked for the Students' Association and NUS Scotland before being hired by Lord Foulkes as office manager and political adviser.

Neil Findlay, Health

THIS is going to be good. An unashamed Left-winger has been handed the Health portfolio and lined up for regular battles with Lefty bruiser Alex Neil as Minister. They'll sell tickets. A prediction would have Mr Findlay taking heavy punishment in early rounds but if he is still standing in years to come he will be much the stronger for this. A West Lothian councillor from a hotbed of Labour-SNP animosity, he has been campaigning on the issue of children's ward at St John's Hospital in Livingston. But when he and Alex Neil get going, the Conservatives might find it hard to get a word in about private sector provision.

Graeme Pearson, Justice

THERE is a fascinating dynamic to the appointment of the 63-year-old former head of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency to the Justice brief. He has been an excellent voice in the Parliament on these issues but now he will be required to become much more partisan. On issues such as the turf war over the single police force he and SNP Justice convener Christine Grahame were virtually in lock-step. Now he will have to put on the tackety boots and pick fights. He probably agrees with the proposed reforms on corroboration. Will he have to start picking fights he doesn't agree with?

Drew Smith, Constitution

THIS is a bit of trumping. Nicola Sturgeon was made minister for the constitution, Yes Minister if you will, as part of her Deputy First Minister brief. So the big selling point about Drew Smith is that as new Labour constitution spokesman he will be even younger than the DFM. A product of Glasgow University Labour Club, he became chairman of Scottish Young Labour in 2005-6. His route to Holyrood was through Labour youth and work for Labour MPs and MSPs. Since arriving at the Scottish Parliament he has given a decent account of himself, but he will have to up his game if he is to go head-to-head with Nicola Sturgeon.

Jenny Marra, Youth Employment

THE niece of the late Scottish singer-songwriter Michael Marra is seen as another weapon for Labour to deploy in search of the youth vote. The 35-year-old, born in Dundee, had an important role in Ed Miliband's successful Labour leadership bid. She was responsible for organising his campaign when he travelled north of the Border. She has worked in Brussels for the Labour Party and, after taking a law conversion course, had sought a legal traineeship.

LOSERS

Ken Macintosh (from Finance)

THIS is a sad demise for Ken Macintosh who has always been someone for a considered conversation rather than an attack dog. He is being dumped simply because he was insufficiently aggressive in pursuing John Swinney. Actually, a more aggressive approach may well have produced a bigger battering. Perhaps his former BBC background meant he was simply too fair. We'll see if bruiser colleague Jim Murphy agrees.

Hugh Henry (from Education)

RETURNING

Iain Gray, Finance

MOVED

Jackie Baillie, Social justice, equalities and welfare (from Health)

Lewis Macdonald, Chief Whip (from Justice)

UNCHANGED

Johann Lamont, Scottish Labour Party Leader

Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour Party Deputy Leader

Paul Martin, Business Manager

Sarah Boyack, Local Government

Patricia Ferguson, Culture

Claire Baker, Rural Affairs