Former health minister Godfrey Farrugia has been unanimously elected as the new Labour Party whip, replacing Carmelo Abela who was recently appointed Home Affairs Minister.

In a short statement issued yesterday afternoon, the Labour Party said that Dr Farrugia had been nominated by PM Joseph Muscat.

Speaking to The Sunday Times of Malta, Dr Farrugia denied that following his exit from the Cabinet last year his relationship with the Prime Minister had turned sour.

He backed his argument saying that as an MP he had been at the helm of a committee on diabetes and another promoting Malta’s intangible cultural heritage with Unesco. “I have also campaigned in favour of the introduction of medical cannabis,” he said.

He said that he had accepted the role “wholeheartedly”.

Dr Farrugia’s tenure in the Cabinet lasted little more than a year after Dr Muscat decided to remove him as health minister following criticism of his administrative skills. Dr Muscat offered to appoint him social policy minister instead, but this was turned down.