Ed Miliband's shadow cabinet team unveiled

But a host of well-known Labour party figures were relegated to the back-benches last night, as the party's MPs chose its top team.

Former Welsh secretary Peter Hain, ex-Tory MP and Northern Ireland secretary Shaun Woodward, leadership contender Diane Abbott and former ministers Pat McFadden and Ben Bradshaw were among those who failed to keep their berth on the front-bench.

Intense speculation will now follow before Mr Miliband decides which MP gets which job, with an announcement expected over the next few days.

Mr Alexander, the former international development secretary, has been mentioned as a possible shadow foreign secretary, while Mr Murphy could end up as defence shadow, taking on his fellow Scot Liam Fox. Miss McKechin is likely to be made shadow Scottish secretary.

Mr Murphy said last night: "I am really pleased there are three Scots. Of course it is sad there are some really good people who didn't win, but I look forward to working with Ed Miliband and all the new team."

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Douglas Alexander MP said: "I am confident that, with Ed Miliband as our new leader and the strong team of shadow cabinet members elected this evening, Labour can not only be an effective opposition, we can also offer the public a genuine alternative."

Mr Miliband is also expected to choose one of married couple Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper as shadow chancellor, whose job it will be to go in to bat for Labour over unprecedented cuts in public spending.

Ms Cooper is the favourite for the job and, significantly, a voting breakdown last night showed she had won the most support from her fellow MPs of any of the candidates, 232 votes to her husband's 179.

Another leadership contender, Andy Burnham, also has a shadow cabinet seat, as does former home secretary Alan Johnson.

The names of the winning canidates were announced at 8pm last night. Under Labour Party rules, MPs elect their shadow cabinet, which must include a minimum of six women. Only after the election can the leader decide who gets what job.

Mr Hain, among the most prominent backers of Mr Miliband during the campaign, was the biggest name to lose out, narrowly missing out on the last seat available. His total of 97 votes was just three fewer than Liam Byrne, who was elected.

Mr Woodward's failure to win a seat will come as little surprise.He defected from the Tories under Tony Blair and has long been viewed with mistrust by the party's left. He won 72 votes.

Ms Abbott received the votes of only 59 MPs.

The election will also be a major disappointment for the Paisley-born Mr McFadden, a former political secretary to Tony Blair, who rose to prominence in the last government as the minister in charge of the controversial Post Office sell-off.

Mr Bradshaw, the former culture secretary, and David Lammy, the former universities minister, must also content themselves with the back-benches.

Other Scots who failed to win a seat at the table were Glasgow South MP Tom Harris and Falkirk MP Eric Joyce. The latter won only ten votes.