Ian Murray will not return to Jeremy Corbyn’s front bench after the Labour leader confirmed north-east England MP Dave Anderson will continue as shadow Scottish secretary.
The Edinburgh South MP, who resigned from the post over the summer, had previously said he would consider taking it up again if shadow cabinet elections were reinstated.
But yesterday Mr Corbyn pressed ahead with appointments in his post-conference reshuffle.
It means Labour’s only MP in Scotland – who had hoped his olive branch would be accepted – will remain on the backbenches.
Mr Anderson, who represents Blaydon near Newcastle, will also continue to hold the shadow Northern Irish brief.
As details of Mr Corbyn’s new team emerged, he was accused of promoting little-known allies over more experienced politicians.
The veteran left-winger handed a major promotion to his long-term friend Diane Abbott, making her shadow home secretary.
John McDonnell stays in place as shadow chancellor and Emily Thornberry has kept the foreign brief.
This means the three most senior positions in the body are all held by staunch-Corbyn supporters – and London MPs.
In another aggressive play, the Labour leader brought in Nick Brown, a long-standing ally of former leader Gordon Brown, to replace Rosie Winterton as chief whip.
She had been attempting to broker an agreement over shadow cabinet elections.
The moves prompted former whip Tom Blenkinsop to accuse Mr Corbyn of rowing back on his pledge to unite the party, made just over a week ago in his speech to the Labour conference.
He said it had become clear Mr Corbyn wanted “submission not unity”.
As the day drew on, it emerged that Sir Keir Starmer – who stormed out of his frontbench position as immigration minister – had been brought back in as shadow Brexit secretary.
Jon Ashworth – one of the few remaining moderates in the shadow cabinet – has also been promoted to the role of shadow health secretary.
But Mr Corbyn has replaced him on Labour’s decision-making body with ally Kate Osamor.
Mr Anderson caused a stir over the summer for suggesting Labour “may well” have to consider some sort of arrangement with the SNP to form a government at Westminster.
Yesterday, a new poll revealed a third of Labour voters in Scotland would back a deal if it helped to keep the Tories out of power.
A BMG study found that 33% would favour such a pact with Nicola Sturgeon’s party, while just over half, 52%, were against the idea.
