Emily Thornberry said she is “sorry and surprised” to not be appointed to the new Labour government's first cabinet, despite years on the shadow front bench.

Ms Thornberry had spent eight-and-a-half years in the shadow cabinet when Labour was in opposition

But following the General Election, the Islington South and Finsbury MP was not be given a senior ministerial post.

Richard Hermer KC was instead chosen as the country’s Attorney General.

Three days after the new attorney general was appointed, Ms Thornberry said she wishes all he best for her “brilliant colleague”, saying he will do “an outstanding job”.

She said that during her time in the shadow cabinet, she worked her hardest to keep the party united and to “take the fight to the Tories”.

In a statement shared on X, she said: “I am very sorry and surprised not to be able to continue that work in Government, but I wish all my brilliant colleagues well, and I know that Richard Hermer KC – a much more accomplished lawyer than I could ever hope to be – will do an outstanding job as Attorney General.

“Nothing in the personal disappointment I feel can detract from the amazing and historic victory that all of us in the Labour movement worked together to win last week, and the chance that we now have to change our country for the better.

“I will continue giving my unstinting loyalty to our Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, as he leads that work, as I have done since he became leader, and I look forward to supporting his Government in every way I can in the years to come.”

She was one of the 36 MPs who backed Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour leadership race in 2015.

While she was not appointed to a senior role, Sir Keir Starmer said that Ms Thornberry “has been fantastic” and has a “big part to play” in the Labour government.