Ex-Home Secretary Johnson is named shadow chancellor

She said being offered the role of shadow foreign secretary was “a great honour”.

Her husband Ed Balls, who like her had been tipped for the shadow chancellor role, said he had been “surprised” by being handed the home affairs brief instead.

He said economic policy was “important” to him but he was “pleased” to be shadow home secretary and it was “not about who’s doing the job, it’s about winning the argument”.

“It’s a hugely important job and I am looking forward to doing it,” he told the BBC News channel.

In other shadow cabinet appointments, Andy Burnham was named shadow education secretary while John Healey, who did well in the poll of MPs, gets health.

Harriet Harman remains Labour’s deputy leader but adds the role of shadow international development secretary to her portfolio.

Sadiq Khan, who was Mr Miliband’s campaign manager in the leadership election, is rewarded with the post of shadow Lord Chancellor and justice secretary.

He will also be responsible for shadowing Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg over his constitutional and political reform programme.

Peter Hain and Shaun Woodward, who both failed to gain enough votes from MPs in shadow cabinet elections, will carry on shadowing Wales and Northern Ireland respectively, as part of a handful of posts appointed at the leader’s discretion.

Douglas Alexander, who managed David Miliband’s campaign, will shadow Iain Duncan Smith at work and pensions, John Denham, who was a prominent Ed Millband supporter, will shadow Vince Cable at business, innovation and skills.

Caroline Flint, who quit the frontbench in protest at Gordon Brown’s leadership, makes a comeback as shadow communities and local government secretary, shadowing Eric Pickles.

Hilary Benn, who supported Ed Miliband’s leadership campaign, becomes shadow Commons leader.

New shadow cabinet faces include Meg Hillier, who gets Ed Miliband’s old shadow energy and climate secretary job, while Ivan Lewis gets the culture, media and sport brief.