A GROUP of former Brownite bruisers were brought into Labour's shadow Cabinet yesterday as Ed Miliband sought to toughen up his front-bench team.

The Labour leader also promoted the former Scottish minister Margaret Curran to shadow Scottish Secretary, after he decided the party needed a more campaigning approach to take on the SNP. Joining her are Michael Dugher and Tom Watson, both close associates of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Labour aides said the moves would help the team “get on the front foot”.

However, the promotion of Mr Watson triggered an immediate row over calls for him to resign his role on the Commons Culture committee, from where he has led much of his crusade against phone hacking.

John Whittingdale, the Tory chairman of the committee, said that “unquestionably” Mr Watson’s new role as Labour campaigns director meant he should stand down.

But Mr Miliband hit back that the “service” Mr Watson was providing to the country over the ongoing scandal meant he should remain.

A number of rising stars were also promoted to the shadow Cabinet in yesterday’s reshuffle.

They include Rachel Reeves, a former Bank of England economist lauded for her work on women’s pensions, who was made shadow Chief Treasury Secretary.

Another member of the Class of 2010, Chuka Umunna, has also been promoted, to the role of shadow Business Secretary.

Other moves include Andy Burnham to Health, to replace John Healey, who was considered to have underperformed.

Mr Burnham is replaced at Education by former minister Stephen Twigg, who famously leapt to public attention with his election victory over Michael Portillo in 1997.

Deputy leader Harriet Harman has swapped International Development for Culture but has also been given the job of shadowing Nick Clegg, while Caroline Flint was moved from Communities to shadow Energy Secretary and Vernon Coaker becomes shadow Northern Ireland Secretary.

But there was no change among many of the top team, including Ed Balls as shadow Chancellor, Jim Murphy as shadow Defence Secretary, and Douglas Alexander as shadow Foreign Secretary.

Last night Sayeeda Warsi, the Conservative Party chairman, said: “By promoting Gordon Brown’s cronies, the very people who got us into this mess in the first place, it’s clear that Ed Miliband is a weak leader who has learnt nothing.”

Two members of Mr Miliband’s team, John Denham and John Healey, quit on Thursday night, ahead of the reshuffle announcement.

Baroness Scotland also quit as shadow Attorney General, saying it was “time for something new”. She will be replaced by Emily Thornberry, a barrister who previously acted as spokeswoman on health.

In total, three MPs were sacked: Meg Hillier, from Energy and Climate Change; Shaun Woodward, from the Northern Ireland post; and Ann McKechin as shadow Scottish Secretary. Last night, acknowledging that she is expected to take a more aggressive stance with the Scottish Government than her predecessor, Ms Curran she said she would “speak up for people right across Scotland.” Shadow Scotland minister Tom Greatrex is also expected to be moved in a reshuffle of junior roles this weekend.

He is expected to join the energy team while another former Scottish minister, Cathy Jamieson, appears headed for the Treasury team in a bid to boost support for Ms Curran with more Scots MPs in other portfolios.

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