Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (United Kingdom)

Summary

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, known as Shadow Ministers, are usually appointed by the Leader of the Opposition (currently Sir Keir Starmer). The role of a Shadow Minister is 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 either serving members of the House of Commons or the House of Lords, with most chosen from the former. Since May 2010, Labour 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 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.

Current Shadow Cabinet edit

His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition Shadow Cabinet
Shadow Minister
Constituency
Office(s) Shadows
Shadow Cabinet ministers
  Sir Keir Starmer
MP for Holborn and St Pancras
Leader of the Opposition Prime Minister
  Angela Rayner
MP for Ashton-under-Lyne
Deputy Leader of the Labour Party

Shadow Deputy Prime Minister

Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Deputy Prime Minister

Secretary of State for Levelling up, Housing and Communities


  Rachel Reeves
MP for Leeds West
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Chancellor of the Exchequer
  Bridget Phillipson
MP for Houghton and Sunderland South
Shadow Secretary of State for Education Secretary of State for Education
  Yvette Cooper
MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford
Shadow Secretary of State for the Home Department Secretary of State for the Home Department
  Wes Streeting
MP for Ilford North
Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
  Ed Miliband
MP for Doncaster North
Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
  David Lammy
MP for Tottenham
Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
  Pat McFadden
MP for Wolverhampton South East
Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
  Nick Thomas-Symonds
MP for Torfaen
Shadow Minister without Portfolio Minister without Portfolio
  Jonathan Ashworth
MP for Leicester South
Shadow Paymaster General Paymaster General
  Shabana Mahmood
MP for Birmingham Ladywood
Shadow Secretary of State for Justice Secretary of State for Justice

Lord Chancellor

  Jonathan Reynolds
MP for Stalybridge and Hyde
Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade Secretary of State for Business and Trade
  Liz Kendall
MP for Leicester West
Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
  John Healey
MP for Wentworth and Dearne
Shadow Secretary of State for Defence Secretary of State for Defence
  Louise Haigh
MP for Sheffield Heeley
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport Secretary of State for Transport
 
Thangam Debbonaire
MP for Bristol West
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
  Anneliese Dodds
MP for Oxford East
Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities

Chair of The Labour Party
Minister for Women and Equalities
  Steve Reed
MP for Croydon North
Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
  Peter Kyle
MP for Hove
Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
  Hilary Benn
MP for Leeds Central
Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
  Ian Murray
MP for Edinburgh South
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland Secretary of State for Scotland
  Jo Stevens
MP for Cardiff Central
Shadow Secretary of State for Wales Secretary of State for Wales
  Emily Thornberry
MP for Islington South and Finsbury
Shadow Attorney General for England and Wales Attorney General for England and Wales
  Lisa Nandy
MP for Wigan
Shadow Minister for International Development Minister of State for Development and Africa
  Darren Jones
MP for Bristol North West
Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Chief Secretary to the Treasury
  Ellie Reeves
MP for Lewisham West and Penge
Deputy National Campaign Coordinator N/A
  Lucy Powell
MP for Manchester Central
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Leader of the House of Commons
  Sir Alan Campbell
MP for Tynemouth
Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Commons Government Chief Whip in the House of Commons
  Baroness Smith of Basildon
Life peer
Shadow Leader of the House of Lords Leader of the House of Lords
  Lord Kennedy of Southwark
Life peer
Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Lords Government Chief Whip in the House of Lords

See also edit

References edit

  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.

External links edit

  • His Majesty's Official Opposition – official UK Parliament webpage