Douglas Alexander said he is "looking forward to being Scotland's voice" at Westminster after being appointed as the new Scottish Secretary. Speaking on BBC One's The Sunday Show, Alexander told host Martin Geissler: "I'm looking forward to being Scotland's voice at the Cabinet table, making sure not just that I'm speaking up for Scotland, but that my Cabinet colleagues understand the importance of Scotland to their work."
The appointment follows Friday's government reshuffle that saw Ian Murray sacked from the Scottish Secretary role he had held since July 2024. The changes came after Angela Rayner's departure from her position as deputy prime minister, which Alexander described as unexpected.
When asked about reports that Murray was "very angry" about his removal and that the Labour Party was "furious" about the decision, Alexander said: "Genuinely, I don't know." He compared the situation to football management, explaining: "The truth is, it's the manager who chooses the players on the pitch. Sometimes there are more players than you're able to field."
Opposition parties slam appointment
Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton accused Labour of being in "complete meltdown" with their "integrity in tatters after only 14 months in government". She described Alexander as "nothing more than a yes man for Labour" and criticised both him and Murray for wanting to "shut down our oil and gas industry and supports inflicting a heartless family farm tax on our agriculture sector".
Hamilton added that Murray's subsequent appointment to a junior ministerial role was "systematic of the weakness of Keir Starmer and his long list of U-turns". She claimed the reshuffle exposed how "disconnected" Starmer is with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.
SNP challenges on independence route
The SNP criticised Alexander for failing to clearly explain the democratic route to a second independence referendum during the BBC interview. When repeatedly pressed by Geissler on how Scots could vote again on independence, Alexander ultimately concluded: "The Scottish people ultimately can make their choice in the Holyrood elections in 2026."
SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson said: "Scotland has a right to decide our own future - it really is time for unionist politicians to stop denying democracy, and outline under which circumstances a referendum could take place." He added that recent opinion polls suggest it "won't be a good showing for Labour" in 2026 if they continue to "deny Scottish democracy".
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
