A NORTH-EAST MP has landed her first frontbench job as Labour leader Ed Miliband completed his reshuffle yesterday – just 17 months after arriving at Westminster.

Darlington MP Jenny Chapman was appointed as Labour’s new prisons and probation spokeswoman, joking: “It’s the most glamorous job in politics.”

More seriously, Ms Chapman said she was looking forward to exposing holes in the Government’s much-vaunted “rehabilitation revolution” to cut reoffending by prisoners.

She said: “Rehabilitation is all very well, but what about the victims of crime? At the moment, there is more publicity than there is policy.

“If the Government is serious about rehabilitation and about wanting prisoners not to reoffend, then it is going to cost money, but budgets are being cut.

“I’m also very concerned about an increasing number of assaults on prison officers, which appear to be a sign of stress in our prisons.”

The reshuffle also brought good news for Tom Blenkinsop (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland), who also joined Labour’s frontbench, as a junior whip.

Meanwhile, there were job swaps for three more of the region’s Labour MPs, including Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland), who moved from a justice post to her party’s junior culture spokeswoman.

The switch follows the success of the campaign to keep the Zurbaran paintings at Auckland Castle, headed by Ms Goodman.

Similarly, Dr Roberta Blackman- Woods (City of Durham), who was a Cabinet office spokeswoman, is now part of Labour’s communities and local government team.

And Iain Wright (Hartlepool) moves from an education post to be a spokesman on business, innovation and skills, alongside Chi Onwurah (Newcastle Central).

Three other MPs remained in the same frontbench posts; Phil Wilson (Sedgefield), an assistant whip, Kevan Jones (Durham North), a defence spokesman, and Sharon Hodgson (Washington and Sunderland West), an education spokeswoman.

However, Mr Miliband’s appointment of his Shadow Cabinet, last Friday, confirmed that the North-East’s voice would be confined to the lower ranks on the frontbench.

There are no MPs from this region among the Labour leader’s top team.