Scottish Labour's front bench team

Iain Gray - Scottish Labour leader

Iain Gray won the party leadership battle despite spending three years away from Holyrood, after losing his seat to the Conservatives in 2003.

The former cabinet minister - who is not from Labour's traditional west of Scotland stomping ground - took stewardship of the party at a difficult time for Labour and in the wake of his predecessor Wendy Alexander's controversial resignation.

Although his job is technically leader of the Labour Holyrood group, the East Lothian MSP quickly pointed out he was elected on a mandate which also included Scottish MPs, MEPs and affiliated unions.

Johann Lamont - Deputy Scottish Labour leader

Johann Lamont, during her time on Holyrood's front and back benches, has been a strong voice on violence against women and inequality.

As deputy communities minister, she expressed concern over a Scottish Parliament report in 2005 that Gypsy travellers were experiencing extreme levels of discrimination and, later, as deputy justice minister, saw through reforms to speed up Scotland's lower court system.

The former history teacher and MSP for Glasgow Pollok - a key figure in raising concerns about youth disorder - also served as chair of the Scottish Labour Party.

Richard Baker - Justice

Richard Baker, who strongly backed Iain Gray for the Scottish Labour leadership, has won himself a major promotion to justice.

The portfolio area is slightly out of the North East Scotland MSP's comfort zone, having previously served as president of student union NUS Scotland and spoken on education issues.

Mr Baker, whose wife Claire is also a Labour MSP, also previously worked for the party as a researcher and as a press officer for the charity Help the Aged.

Cathy Jamieson - Health

Cathy Jamieson, one of the Scottish Labour leadership contenders and the party's former deputy leader, agreed to take a post in Iain Gray's senior team.

As the previous justice minister, she presided over high-profile pushes to stamp out anti-social behaviour, remove drug dealers from communities and tackle Scotland's so-called "booze and blades" culture.

The Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley MSP was previously a social worker and holds a degree in fine art.

Rhona Brankin - Education

Rhona Brankin, MSP for Midlothian, is seldom short of a cutting remark for her opponents - both in and out of government.

The former deputy environment minister refused in 2001 to pay short-term compensation to Scots fishermen - even though her effigy was burned at a protest - and more recently branded the new Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead's first parliamentary statement "wishy-washy" and "a complete cop-out".

Ms Brankin, a former teacher, education lecturer and chair of the Scottish Labour Party, took some heat as deputy health minister when she accused a Stranraer dentist who moved 1,000 of his patients out of the NHS of staging a political stunt. He denied the accusation and sought legal advice over the comment.

Andy Kerr - Finance

Andy Kerr has returned to familiar ground with his front bench post, having served as finance minister at Holyrood.

As health minister in the last government, he embarked upon radical reforms aimed at improving and modernising the health service, while tackling waiting lists and high-profile teething problems with the NHS 24 helpline service.

The MSP for East Kilbride, who stood against Mr Gray for the Scottish leadership, worked in local government before becoming an MSP and was previously a Holyrood committee convener.

Sarah Boyack - Environment and rural affairs

Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central, has served in several ministerial jobs, latterly as deputy environment minister.

As transport minister - the job she lost when Jack McConnell became first minister - she had to suspend tolls on the Erskine Bridge in 2001 after a Scottish Executive error failed to extend the tolling order. She also comfortably survived an SNP-instigated vote of no confidence over the awarding of road maintenance contracts to private firms.

Ms Boyack, who previously worked in and later lectured on planning, has held a long-standing interest in green matters and served as convener of the Scottish Parliament's environment and rural development committee.

Pauline McNeill - Europe and culture

Pauline McNeill came to the fore in the last parliament in the demanding role of convener of the Scottish Parliament's Justice 1 Committee.

It provided essential scrutiny on several important pieces of legislation, including laws to improve child protection, and carried out an inquiry into the Shirley McKie fingerprint affair.

The MSP for Glasgow Kelvin is a former union worker and president of the National Union of Students in Scotland and is a keen champion of Scotland's contemporary music scene.

John Park - Skills

John Park, one of the new intake of members at Holyrood, has been a Labour Party member for most of his working life.

He left school at 15 to work as an electrical fitter apprentice at Rosyth Dockyard, where he became a shop steward. He went on to serve as a full-time official with several unions, including the STUC, and had a stint in the private sector heading up employee relations for Babcock Naval Services.

Mr Park, whose family roots lie in the Fife coal mining industry, regards serving as an MSPs for Mid Scotland and Fife as "a privilege and an important responsibility".

David Stewart - Chief whip

David Stewart became a newly-elected MSP for Highlands and Islands in 2007, having previously failed to be re-elected as an MP.

Born and bred in the Highland capital, he used his time as MP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber to concentrate on issues such like transport. He also campaigned for changes in regulations on behalf of IVF patient Margaret Grant, whose test-tube embryos were destroyed without her knowledge after her divorce.

The former social work professional, who supported the war in Iraq, lost out in the 2005 General Election to Liberal Democrat Danny Alexander, after Labour peer Lord Haskins gave £2,500 to the rival campaign.

Michael McMahon - Parliamentary business

Michael McMahon has been an MSP since 1999, during which time he has pressed for legal reform, received death threats and rebelled against his masters.

During the abolition of the law banning the promotion of homosexuality in Scotland's schools, the former welder - who is also a Roman Catholic - failed to gain government backing for his "marriage clause" to end "divisions" over scrapping the law.

Later, following Green MSP Patrick Harvie's proposals to give gay and straight couples the same rights as married couples, he said it was "highly debatable" whether gay marriage met people's priorities.

The Hamilton North and Bellshill MSP has also campaigned to scrap the "not proven" verdict in court cases and abstained from a vote on ferry tendering which defeated the previous government. In his constituency, he has received death threats over plans for a psychiatric secure unit and demanded an inquiry into an apparent cluster of cancer deaths around his home.

Margaret Curran - Policy development

Margaret Curran, the candidate in Labour's failed Glasgow East by-election campaign, will drive policy for Scottish Labour.

Her no-nonsense style stood her in good stead during her time as minister for parliamentary business, having to deal with opposition parties and the occasional Labour rebel. As communities minister, she oversaw the then Scottish Executive's flagship anti-social behaviour laws.

Ms Curran, MSP for Glasgow Baillieston, was previously a community worker and lecturer and is a fan of the BBC television drama EastEnders.