North and north-east MPs have been handed key jobs in the SNP’s new shadow ministerial team.
Aberdeen South representative Callum McCaig is now the party’s energy spokesman at Westminster, Inverness MP Drew Hendry takes on the transport brief, while Argyll and Bute’s Brendan O’Hara will speak on defence.
Aberdeen North MP Kirsty Blackman will be the party’s House of Lords spokeswoman, while Ross, Skye and Lochaber’s Ian Blackford will lead on pensions.
The appointments were made by group leader Angus Robertson, the Moray MP.
It had already been announced that Gordon MP Alex Salmond would speak on foreign affairs and Europe, and that Banff and Buchan’s Eilidh Whiteford would retain the social justice portfolio.
On being handed the energy brief, Mr McCaig said: “I’m very pleased to be given the opportunity to take a role within the group.
“It’s clearly a big role but one I’m relishing.
“Clearly oil and gas will play a big part in the portfolio, but I also want to see improvements made in terms of renewable energy and there is also a job of work to be done on climate change.”
Mr Hendry, the transport spokesman, said “Now that is a brief with wheels on. I’m going to be a busy boy.”
Mr Robertson said: “The SNP leadership and team of spokespeople bring together a great range of talents from the record-sized SNP group in the House of Commons.”