Ed Miliband has recruited failed Labour leadership challenger Diane Abbott to his shadow ministerial ranks.
Ms Abbott, a left-winger, came last in the contest to succeed Gordon Brown and she also lacked the support needed from fellow Labour MPs to be elected to the shadow cabinet.
But Mr Miliband, who is still appointing to the lower ranks of his first shadow team, has made her shadow public health minister.
Mr Miliband handed the top job of shadow chancellor to Alan Johnson this week.
Ed Balls was given the job of shadow home secretary and his wife Yvette Cooper becomes shadow foreign secretary.
Members of the shadow cabinet are elected by Labour MPs but the party leader decides which role they receive.
Ms Cooper topped the ballot and had been tipped to be the next shadow chancellor. She is one of 12 women to make the team - thought to be the highest proportion ever.
She told Sky News it was a "huge honour" to be shadow foreign secretary.
Asked if she disagrees with Mr Miliband's opposition to the Iraq war, as she voted in favour of it, she said: "We thought there were weapons of mass destruction and there weren't - we were wrong about that."
Mr Balls, who came third in the vote, was also been seen as a contender for the job after putting the economy at the heart of his failed bid to become Labour leader.
He said he would use the job to hold the Government to account as it introduces budget cuts amid concerns there will be a drop in the number of police on the streets.
As shadow chancellor, ex-minister Mr Johnson will be among the most prominent members of the team as Labour responds to the Government's programme of austere budget cuts.
Mr Johnson, Labour's last home secretary, said he "relished" the challenge and would provide "responsible opposition" to the Government during testing economic times.
"Ed and I will work together to build a plan for growth and for jobs in our economy," he continued.
"We will offer a real and responsible alternative to the dangerous plans of this coalition Government which is damaging the economic future of millions of families."
But Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said it was a "very surprising appointment" and Mr Johnson looks like he will be merely a "caretaker".
"Ed Miliband said that he wanted to move on to a new generation of Labour politicians - but Alan Johnson frankly is from the last generation of Labour politicians," Mr Hammond told the BBC.
John Healey is shadow health secretary, former leadership contender Andy Burnham gets educationand Mr Miliband's campaign chief Sadiq Khan becomes shadow justice secretary as well as Nick Clegg's opposite number on political and constitutional reform.
The defence brief goes to Jim Murphy, Douglas Alexander, campaign manager for Mr Miliband's brother David, has been given work and pensions, and Caroline Flint returns as communities and local government.
Twins Maria and Angela Eagle will serve in the shadow cabinet as shadow transport secretary and shadow chief secretary to the treasury.
Despite failing to make the elected list, Peter Hain and Shaud Woodward return to the team as shadow Welsh secretary and shadow Northern Ireland secretary respectively.
Mr Miliband said he was "delighted" with the line-up as it represents a "broad range of talents across our party".
"My team is united in one central mission for the future – to win back the trust of the British people and take Labour back to power," his statement continued.
"Together, this new generation of Labour will work together to reject the pessimism of this coalition government as we set out our vision of what Britain can achieve.
"Our values are those of the British people, and this shadow cabinet will ensure that the hopes and concerns of working families are at the heart of our offer to the country," the Labour leader added.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Politi ... 4209?f=rssRuss Abbot might have been a better choice
Erm:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... emony.html 
