TWO Labour MPs have been given new responsibilities by party leader Keir Starmer.

The Holborn and St Pancras MP took the top job last weekend and has now announced that both Hove MP Peter Kyle and Brighton Kemptown MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle will assume new roles.

Mr Kyle will be shadow minister for victims and youth justice, while Mr Russell-Moyle will be shadow minister for natural environment and air quality.

Mr Kyle said: "Thank you, Keir Starmer, for appointing me shadow victims and youth justice minister, I can’t wait to get stuck in.

"(I) spent ages excitedly chatting to my new boss, David Lammy, earlier. It’s a crucial department that needs constructive and steadfast shadowing, I’ll give that 100 per cent."

Mr Russell-Moyle also expressed his joy to be joining Labour's environment team.

He said: "(I am) delighted to be joining Luke Pollard and the shadow Labour department of the environment, fisheries and rural affair as the shadow minister for natural environment and air quality. We have an air quality crisis and working with Labour Transport and Ed Miliband's business, energy and industrial strategy team, UK Labour is committed to tackling it and saving lives.

"Air quality is a key issue across the globe. In the UK our polluted air contributes to over 40,000 premature deaths a year and poisons our environment, with greatest impact on children’s health and people in poorer communities.

"Tougher air laws and new clean air zones are needed now.

"I remember lobbying Michael Meacher on international agreements at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 when he was environment minister.

"I hope to follow in his big shoes. Fulfilling agreements to protect our environment is vital to achieve a liveable planet."

He said it was the Labour Party which had made the South Downs into a National Park, and said the protection of the area was "vital".

Mr Russell-Moyle said: "Work (Southampton Labour MP) Alan Whitehead is doing on the Environment Bill, among other things, aims to make sure future agencies have the teeth to hold public bodies to account will continue.

I'll support Alan (who will continue to follow the bill in committee) to hold the governments feet to the fire.

"When I go on beach clean-ups, the amount of plastic waste is shocking.

"We need to move towards full waste recovery, but also need to change consumption and production to stop waste at source and demand. I'll hold Goverment to account on its fulfilment of Sustainment Development Goals 12 and reduction of waste."