A TEESSIDE MP has been appointed to the front bench.

Alex Cunningham, the Labour MP for Stockton North, is a shadow minister in the justice team, with responsibility or courts and sentencing. He had been a shadow housing minister.

He said: “I am honoured to have been invited to join Labour’s Justice team as Shadow Minister with responsibility for courts and sentencing five years after last being on the team, and I look forward to supporting David Lammy in his role as Shadow Secretary of State.

“I have enjoyed serving as a Shadow Housing Minister for the past year, but I look forward to this new brief and challenge holding the Government to account.”

New Labour leader Keir Starmer has now appointed his front bench team.

Other North-East appointments include Sunderland MP Bridget Phillipson, who is shadow chief secretary to the treasury and Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald, shadow secretary for employment rights and protections.

Newcastle MP Chi Onwurah is shadow minister for science, research and digital and Sharon Hodgson, MP for Washington and Sunderland West, is shadow minister for veterans.