ANAS Sarwar has been promoted to the front bench, just days after he announced he was to step down as Scottish Labour's deputy leader.

Mr Sarwar is to become a shadow spokesman at international development after Jim Murphy's resignation as the main spokesman for the portfolio.

Glasgow MP Mr Sarwar announced last week that he would quit as deputy leader after the result of the leadership ­election, in which Mr Murphy is front runner, is announced in mid-December.

He said: "Having campaigned for last three years as an internationalist, I'm delighted to have become Shadow Minister of State for International Development."

Mr Murphy's replacement as shadow international development secretary is Mary Creagh, while her former transport brief goes to Michael Dugher. He advised former prime minister Gordon Brown during his time at No 10. Sources said Ms Creagh's appointment was not a demotion.

Lucy Powell, who ran Mr Miliband's leadership campaign, has been put in charge of the day-to-day running of the party's effort to win the general election.

Ms Powell becomes shadow Cabinet Office minister and vice chair of the general election campaign next year.

Paisley and Renfrewshire MP Douglas Alexander will remain in overall charge of strategy for the May 2015 poll.

Insiders said that it means Mr Miliband will meet his target of at least 50 per cent of his team being female.

A senior Labour source said: "Jim's decision to stand down has created a vacancy which Ed wanted to fill with some of the party's best and most talented campaigners.

"Lucy, who ran Ed's campaign, is obviously a proven talent.

"Ed also wanted to move a step forward in his aim of having a 50/50 gender balance in the Cabinet if we win the next election.

"This means that the promotion of one more woman to the top table would achieve that aim."

There are 17 men and 15 women entitled to attend shadow cabinet meetings as a result of the changes.

The Labour source said it was "idiotic" to suggest that Ms Powell's role was a panic measure in the final few months ahead of the May 2015 vote with Labour failing to establish a major lead in the polls.

"That would be a ludicrous interpretation," the source said.

"We have a well-recognised campaign on the ground."