Sir Malcolm Rifkind has returned to frontline politics, taking on the key post of shadow work and pensions secretary.

The new MP for Kensington and Chelsea made a rapid return to the shadow Cabinet, having been re-elected to the Commons last week following an eight year absence.

Sir Malcolm rose to prominence during John Major's administration, holding the post of defence secretary from 1992 to 1995 and moving up to become foreign secretary from 1995 to 1997.

He played a leading role in defining Britain's response to the Balkans war as the former Yugoslavia splintered into warring republics and factions.

During that time he backed the "realist" position which put the emphasis on easing humanitarian suffering rather than seeking to take sides in the conflict and intervening militarily to end the fighting.

After losing his Edinburgh Pentlands constituency in the 1997 Labour landslide, Sir Malcolm sought to regain the seat at the 2001 election.

He failed on that occasion, but was chosen as candidate for the safe Tory seat of Kensington and Chelsea for the May 2005 election, which he won easily.

Tipped by some as a potential leadership challenger, that claim may not prove sustainable if the party seeks to move on from the Thatcher/Major years.

But as one of the limited number of Conservative MPs with experience of high office, Sir Malcolm is certain to retain a prominent position in the party.

The decision to appoint him to the post of shadow pensions secretary is particularly important.

He will face combative Labour Cabinet minister David Blunkett across the Commons despatch box.

And with the Turner report on pensions reform due later this year, the policy battle between Labour and the Conservatives is set to hot up.

Seen as a moderate, Rifkind has a keen eye for detail which he will need to exploit fully in his current post.

And while there may be some attempts at developing a cross-party consensus on the pensions issue, the prospect of two combative politicians holding the key roles suggests that continued disagreement is more than likely.