BIRMINGHAM MP Liam Byrne said he was determined to put cutting unemployment and getting Britain back to work at the top of Labour’s agenda, after he received a major promotion to the heart of Labour’s front bench team.

But Mr Byrne (Lab, Hodge Hill) said he was sorry the new role, as Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, had come in a reshuffle caused by the resignation of former Shadow Chancellor Alan Johnson.

Mr Johnson, previously Home Secretary, quit the Shadow Cabinet for personal reasons. Scotland Yard is preparing disciplinary proceedings against his former police bodyguard, who is reported to have had an affair with Mr Johnson’s wife.

Mr Byrne, who was a senior Treasury Minister in the last Labour government, also said he regretted writing a “stupid” letter to his Liberal Democrat successor warning there is “no money left” – comments which have been used against him repeatedly by Conservative and Lib Dem MPs.

He said: “It is a huge privilege to do this job. The battle for work is going to be one of the defining issues of this Parliament. If Britain’s economy is going to grow again in the future then we have to get people back to work.

“The Department for Work and Pensions’ brief is going to be very important and high profile.

“Britain had a great work ethic and it is a shame the Government doesn’t share it.

“I think we can’t push people back in to jobs if there are no jobs for them to go to.”

Mr Byrne said he did not believe the Government would win over voters by constantly highlighting the letter.

“I think the public knows that welfare reform is a crucial policy area.