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Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (United Kingdom)

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The Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet, or His Majesty’s Most Loyal Opposition Shadow Cabinet, but usually simply the Shadow Cabinet, is the committee of senior members of the Official Opposition who scrutinise the work of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. Each Shadow Cabinet member is typically given a position which corresponds to that of a government minister in Cabinet. Shadow Cabinet members, commonly known as shadow ministers, are usually appointed by the leader of the Opposition (currently Rishi Sunak). The roles of shadow ministers are to develop alternative policies, hold the government to account for its actions and responses, and act as spokespeople for the opposition party in their own specific policy areas.[1] By convention, shadow ministers are drawn either from serving members of the House of Commons or the House of Lords, with most chosen from the former. Since July 2024, the Conservative Party has been the Official Opposition, and its leadership therefore forms the current Shadow Cabinet.

Not all opposition frontbenchers are members of the Shadow Cabinet, which is composed of the most senior opposition members (usually they number around twenty).

The leader of the Opposition, the Opposition chief whip and Opposition deputy chief whip are the only members of the Official Opposition in the House of Commons to be paid for their opposition roles in addition to their salaries as members of Parliament. The leader of the Opposition and the Opposition chief whip in the House of Lords also receive a salary.

Other parties may also form frontbench teams of spokespeople which may be referred to as shadow cabinets by the party (e.g. the Liberal Democrats in 2019), but these are not part of the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet.[2]

Current Shadow Cabinet

His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition Shadow Cabinet
Shadow Minister
Constituency
Office(s) Shadows
Shadow Cabinet ministers[3]
Rishi Sunak
MP for Richmond and Northallerton
Leader of the Opposition Prime Minister
Oliver Dowden

MP for Hertsmere

Deputy Leader of the Opposition

Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

Jeremy Hunt
MP for Godalming and Ash
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Chancellor of the Exchequer
Andrew Mitchell

MP for Sutton Coldfield

Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
James Cleverly

MP for Braintree

Shadow Home Secretary Home Secretary
James Cartlidge

MP for South Suffolk

Shadow Secretary of State for Defence Secretary of State for Defence
Edward Argar

MP for Melton and Syston

Shadow Secretary of State for Justice Secretary of State for Justice
Andrew Griffith

MP for Arundel and South Downs

Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
Victoria Atkins

MP for Louth and Horncastle

Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Kemi Badenoch

MP for North West Essex

Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Steve Barclay

MP for North East Cambridgeshire

Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Chris Philp

MP for Croydon South

Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Leader of the House of Commons
The Lord True Shadow Leader of the House of Lords Leader of the House of Lords
Kevin Hollinrake

MP for Thirsk and Malton

Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade Secretary of State for Business and Trade
Claire Coutinho

MP for East Surrey

Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
Mel Stride

MP for Central Devon

Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Damian Hinds

MP for East Hampshire

Shadow Secretary of State for Education Secretary of State for Education
Helen Whately

MP for Faversham and Mid Kent

Shadow Secretary of State for Transport Secretary of State for Transport
Julia Lopez

MP for Hornchurch and Upminster

Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Jeremy Wright

MP for Kenilworth and Southam

Shadow Attorney General for England and Wales Attorney General for England and Wales
Alex Burghart

MP for Brentwood and Ongar

Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
John Lamont

MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk

Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland Secretary of State for Scotland
The Lord Davies of Gower Shadow Secretary of State for Wales Secretary of State for Wales
Stuart Andrew
MP for Daventry
Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Commons Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
Laura Trott
MP for Sevenoaks
Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Chief Secretary to the Treasury
John Glen

MP for Salisbury

Shadow Paymaster General Paymaster General
Tom Tugendhat

MP for Tonbridge

Shadow Minister of State for Security Minister of State for Security
Andrew Bowie

MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine

Shadow Minister of State for Veterans' Affairs Minister of State for Veterans' Affairs
Mims Davies

MP for East Grinstead and Uckfield

Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities Minister for Women and Equalities

See also

References

  1. ^ "Shadow cabinet". Institute for Government. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2022. The shadow cabinet is made up of senior members of the main opposition party in Westminster, who act as spokespeople for the opposition in specific policy areas. Their job is to scrutinise those they 'shadow' in government, and develop policies for their party.
  2. ^ "Announcing the new Lib Dem Shadow Cabinet". 25 December 2019. Archived from the original on 25 December 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  3. ^ "UK politics live: Anxiety over NHS legitimate but I'm optimistic about future, says Wes Streeting". BBC News. Archived from the original on 8 July 2024. Retrieved 8 July 2024.