THE SNP leadership has sent out a clear message of intent that it will cover all policy areas at Westminster, regardless of whether they are reserved to the Commons or are already devolved to Holyrood, by announcing its extensive team of spokespeople.

 

Angus Robertson, the new group leader at Westminster, has established a 17-strong leadership team, comprising of the chief portfolios with 34 other spokesmen and women.

But while deputy leader Stewart Hosie keeps his economic brief and Eilidh Whiteford her social justice and welfare job and, as has already been announced, Alex Salmond becomes International Affairs Spokesman and QC Joanna Cherry takes on the Justice and Home Affairs portfolio, others will cover areas already devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

So Philippa Whitford, who represents Central Ayrshire, becomes the Health Spokeswoman, and Carol Monaghan, the MP for Glasgow North West, the Spokeswoman for Public Services and Education. Meantime, Drew Hendry, representing Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, is the Transport Spokesman.

This move to cover policy areas, which have been devolved to the Scottish Parliament, will prove controversial with some political opponents, particularly as Prime Minister David Cameron is intent on bringing forward his proposal of English Votes for English Laws.

"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," declared Mr Robertson.

"We will co-ordinate 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.

"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."

He added: "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."

It is believed the Nationalists expect to receive the chairmanships of at least two Commons committees, including the one covering Scottish Affairs. Pete Wishart, the MP for Perth and North Perthshire, is tipped to take up one of the SNP chairman's roles. He has also been appointed as Shadow Commons Leader.

A senior party source said that every one of the 56 MPs will have a job and that some senior figures, including Mr Salmond, the former First Minister, will have their own parliamentary private secretaries; often termed as bag-carriers.

The extensive appointments reflect the SNP's new role as the third party at Westminster, which will involve them getting as much as £8m in taxpayer-funded Short Money to help fund their parliamentary offices. The party is already advertising for new staff.

The Nationalists' main policy portfolios will have teams of spokespeople.

So Scotland and the Constitution, headed by Mr Robertson, will have a team of five spokespeople, including Kirsty Blackman, who represents Aberdeen North and who becomes the Spokeswoman on the House of Lords. The SNP has no peers, believing the second chamber to be undemocratic.

The Economy Group headed by Mr Hosie has a team of four, covering the Treasury, Culture and the Cities, as has the International Affairs Group and the Justice and Home Affairs Group.

The Social Justice and Welfare team has spokespeople covering pensions and disabilities, while the Defence Group has a spokeswoman covering the armed forces and veterans.