Clegg announces new frontbench team

He has given the high-profile home affairs brief to defeated leadership rival Chris Huhne and confirmed that Vince Cable will remain deputy leader and economic spokesman.

Mr Clegg announced that former leader Charles Kennedy - who quit last year to deal with his alcohol problem - will speak from the frontbench on Europe, but will not be the party's official Europe spokesman.

He has asked Sir Menzies Campbell, whose resignation in October triggered the change in leadership, to carry out a full review of Britain's future military capability. The former leader will also join the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee.

Mr Clegg has expanded what he terms his Shadow Cabinet from 23 under Sir Menzies to 30 now, with a further two MPs attending its meetings. In all, some 29 of the Lib Dems' 63 MPs have places in the senior team - almost half the parliamentary party.

There are promotions for close Clegg allies Jeremy Browne, who becomes Mr Cable's number two in the Treasury team, and Danny Alexander, who takes on the work and pensions brief, as well as being put in charge of drawing up the Lib Dem manifesto. But there is a reward, too, for Campbell lieutenant Ed Davey - Sir Menzies' former chief of staff - who becomes senior foreign affairs spokesman.

Some of the leading lights of the party's left wing appear to have suffered a reduction in influence under the changes. Steve Webb is removed from his role as the chair of the election manifesto team to become environment spokesman, while former foreign affairs spokesman Michael Moore is moved to the international development brief.

New faces in the senior frontbench team include David Howarth, as shadow solicitor general, Stephen Williams as innovation, universities and skills spokesman and Willie Rennie as chair of parliamentary campaigns.

Mr Clegg has included youth and equality spokeswoman Lynne Featherstone and countryside spokesman Tim Farron in his Shadow Cabinet, even though they will shadow ministers who are outside Gordon Brown's Cabinet.

A Lib Dem source said Mr Clegg wanted their positions to reflect the importance he gives to these policy areas, and did not feel obliged to mirror exactly the structure chosen by the Prime Minister.