The frontbench of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition in the Parliament of the United Kingdom consists of the Shadow Cabinet and other official shadow ministers of the political party currently serving as the Official Opposition. The Opposition front bench provide Parliamentary opposition to the British Government front bench, and is currently the Labour Party led by Keir Starmer since April 2020.
Sits in the House of Commons | |
Sits in the House of Lords | |
Privy Counsellor | |
Shadow Cabinet full members in bold | |
Shadow Cabinet attendees in bold italics |
Although listed, Parliamentary Private Secretaries do not sit on the front bench. [1] [2] Members of the front bench sitting on Labour's National Executive Committee are also listed.
Office of the Leader of the Opposition | |||
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Leader of the Opposition Leader of the Labour Party Shadow First Lord of the Treasury Shadow Minister for the Civil Service | Keir Starmer | ||
Deputy Leader of the Opposition Shadow Deputy Prime Minister Deputy Leader of the Labour Party | Angela Rayner | ||
Chair of the Labour Policy Review | Anneliese Dodds | ||
National Campaign Coordinator | Pat McFadden | ||
Deputy National Campaign Coordinator | Ellie Reeves | ||
Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition | Jessica Morden | ||
Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition | Nav Mishra [lower-alpha 1] | ||
Parliamentary Lead for the Labour Party Chair | Chris Elmore |
Cabinet Office | |||
---|---|---|---|
Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | Pat McFadden | ||
Shadow Minister of the Cabinet Office (without portfolio) | Nick Thomas-Symonds | ||
Shadow Minister of State at the Cabinet Office | The Baroness Chapman of Darlington | ||
Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, Party Chair and Chair of the National Policy Forum | Anneliese Dodds | ||
Shadow Minister in the Cabinet Office | Nia Griffith | ||
Shadow Paymaster General | Jonathan Ashworth | ||
Parliamentary Private Secretary | Florence Eshalomi [lower-alpha 2] | ||
Shadow Spokesperson for the Cabinet Office, Constitutional and Devolved issues | The Baroness Chapman of Darlington |
Equalities Office | |||
---|---|---|---|
Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities | Anneliese Dodds | ||
Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities | Ashley Dalton [3] | ||
Shadow Spokesperson for Women and Equalities | The Baroness Thornton | ||
The Lord Collins of Highbury |
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs | David Lammy | |||
Shadow Cabinet Minister for International Development | Lisa Nandy | |||
Shadow Minister for Africa [lower-alpha 3] | Lyn Brown | |||
Shadow Minister for Asia and the Pacific | Catherine West | |||
Shadow Minister for Europe and the North America | Stephen Doughty | |||
Shadow Minister for the Middle East and North Africa | Wayne David | |||
Shadow Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean | Anna McMorrin | |||
Parliamentary Private Secretary | Janet Daby | |||
Shadow Spokesperson for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs | The Lord Collins of Highbury |
Defence | |||
---|---|---|---|
Shadow Secretary of State for Defence | John Healey | ||
Shadow Minister for the Armed Forces | Luke Pollard | ||
Shadow Minister for Defence Procurement | Maria Eagle | ||
Shadow Minister for Veterans | Steve McCabe | ||
Shadow Spokesperson for Defence | The Lord Tunnicliffe | ||
The Lord Coaker | |||
The Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent |
Home Department | |||
---|---|---|---|
Shadow Secretary of State for the Home Department | Yvette Cooper | ||
Shadow Minister for Crime Reduction | Feryal Clark [4] | ||
Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding | Alex Davies-Jones [4] | ||
Shadow Minister for Immigration | Stephen Kinnock | ||
Shadow Minister for Policing | Alex Norris | ||
Shadow Minister for Security | Dan Jarvis | ||
Shadow Spokesperson for Home Affairs | The Lord Coaker | ||
The Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede |
Justice | |||
---|---|---|---|
Shadow Secretary of State for Justice Shadow Lord Chancellor | Shabana Mahmood | ||
Shadow Minister for Courts and Legal Services | Alex Cunningham | ||
Shadow Minister for Victims and Sentencing | Kevin Brennan | ||
Shadow Minister of State for Prisons, Parole and Probation | Ruth Cadbury | ||
Shadow Minister for Youth Justice | Janet Daby | ||
Shadow Spokesperson for Justice | The Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede |
Law Officers | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Shadow Attorney General for England and Wales Shadow Advocate General for Northern Ireland | Emily Thornberry | |||
Shadow Solicitor General for England and Wales | Karl Turner [4] |
Treasury | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer | Rachel Reeves | |||
Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury | Darren Jones | |||
Shadow Financial Secretary to the Treasury | James Murray | |||
Shadow Economic Secretary to the Treasury Shadow City Minister | Tulip Siddiq | |||
Shadow Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury | The Lord Livermore | |||
Parliamentary Private Secretary | Samantha Dixon | |||
Shadow Spokesperson for the Treasury |
Business and Trade | |||
---|---|---|---|
Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade | Jonathan Reynolds | ||
Shadow Minister for Investment and Small Business | Rushanara Ali | ||
Shadow Minister for Industry and Decarbonisation | Sarah Jones | ||
Shadow Minister for Trade | Gareth Thomas | ||
Shadow Minister for Business, Employment Rights and Levelling Up | Justin Madders | ||
Shadow Minister for Exports | Tan Dhesi [4] | ||
Shadow Spokesperson for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy | Lord Leong | ||
Lord McNicol | |||
Opposition Whip in the House of Lords |
Education | |||
---|---|---|---|
Shadow Secretary of State for Education | Bridget Phillipson | ||
Shadow Shadow Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills | Seema Malhotra | ||
Shadow Minister for Children and Early Years | Helen Hayes | ||
Shadow Minister for Further Education and Universities | Matt Western | ||
Shadow Minister for Schools | Catherine McKinnell | ||
Parliamentary Private Secretary | Damien Egan | ||
Shadow Spokesperson for Education | The Baroness Twycross | ||
Opposition Whip in the House of Lords | The Baroness Wilcox of Newport |
Health and Social Care | |||
---|---|---|---|
Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care | Wes Streeting | ||
Shadow Minister for Health | Karin Smyth | ||
Shadow Minister for Women's Health and Mental Health | Abena Oppong-Asare | ||
Shadow Minister for Health | |||
Shadow Minister for Primary Care and Public Health | Preet Gill | ||
Shadow Minister for Social Care | Andrew Gwynne | ||
Shadow Spokesperson for Health and Social Care | The Baroness Merron | ||
Shadow Spokesperson for Social Care Opposition Whip in the House of Lords | The Baroness Wheeler |
Science, Innovation and Technology | |||
---|---|---|---|
Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology | Peter Kyle | ||
Shadow Minister for Creative Industries and Digital | Chris Bryant | ||
Shadow Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation | Chi Onwurah | ||
Shadow Minister of State for Data and Digital Infrastructure | |||
Shadow Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Tech and the Digital Economy | Chris Evans | ||
Shadow Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property | Matt Rodda | ||
Shadow Spokesperson for Science Innovation and Technology | The Baron Bassam Brighton of Bassam | ||
The Lord Stevenson Balmacara | |||
Baroness Jones of Whitchurch |
Work and Pensions | |||
---|---|---|---|
Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions | Liz Kendall | ||
Shadow Minister for Disabled People | Vicky Foxcroft | ||
Shadow Minister for Employment | Alison McGovern | ||
Shadow Minister for Pensions | Gill Furniss | ||
Shadow Minister for Social Security | Alison McGovern | ||
Shadow Spokesperson for Work and Pensions | The Baroness Sherlock | ||
Opposition Whip in the House of Lords |
Energy Security and Net Zero | |||
---|---|---|---|
Shadow Secretary of State of Energy Security and Net Zero | Ed Miliband | ||
Shadow Minister for Climate Change | Kerry McCarthy | ||
Shadow Minister for Energy Security | Alan Whitehead | ||
Shadow Minister for Clean Power and Consumers | Jeff Smith | ||
Shadow Minister for Industry and Decarbonisation | Sarah Jones | ||
Shadow Spokesperson for Business, Energy and Industrial Stratergy | The Lord Lennie | ||
Opposition Whip in the House of Lords | The Baroness Blake of Leeds |
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | |||
---|---|---|---|
Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | Steve Reed | ||
Shadow Minister for Environmental Protection and Animal Welfare | Ruth Jones | ||
Shadow Minister for Nature Rural Affairs | Toby Perkins | ||
Shadow Minister for Flooding, Oceans and Costal Communities | Emma Hardy | ||
Shadow Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries | Daniel Zeichner | ||
Shadow Spokesperson for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | The Baroness Hayman of Ullock |
Culture, Media and Sport | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport | Thangam Debbonaire | |||
Shadow Minister for Creative Industries and Digital | Chris Bryant | |||
Shadow Minister for Music and Tourism | Barbara Keeley | |||
Shadow Minister for Sport, Gambling and Media | Stephanie Peacock | |||
Shadow Minister for Arts, Heritage and Civil Society | Lillian Greenwood | |||
Shadow Spokesperson for Sport | The Lord Bassam of Brighton | |||
Shadow Spokesperson for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Opposition Whip in the House of Lords | The Baroness Thornton |
Transport | |||
---|---|---|---|
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport | Louise Haigh | ||
Shadow Minister for Aviation and Maritime | Mike Kane | ||
Shadow Minister for Local Transport | Simon Lightwood | ||
Shadow Minister for Railways | Stephen Morgan | ||
Shadow Minister for Roads | Bill Esterson | ||
Shadow Spokesperson for Transport | The Lord Liddle | ||
The Lord Tunnicliffe |
Levelling Up, Housing, Communities and Local Government | |||
---|---|---|---|
Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing, Communities and Local Government | Angela Rayner | ||
Shadow Minister for English Devolution and Local Government | Jim McMahon [4] | ||
Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning [lower-alpha 4] | Matthew Pennycook | ||
Shadow Minister for Business, Employment Rights and Levelling Up | Justin Madders | ||
Shadow Minister for Local Services and Communities | Liz Twist [4] | ||
Shadow Minister for Democracy | Florence Eshalomi | ||
Shadow Minister for Building Safety and Homelessness | Mike Amesbury | ||
Shadow Minister for the New Deal for Working People | Vacant | ||
Shadow Minister for Faith | The Baroness Sherlock | ||
Shadow Spokesperson for Levelling Up, Housing, Communities and Local Government | The Lord Khan of Burnley | ||
The Baroness Taylor of Stevenage |
Northern Ireland | |||
---|---|---|---|
Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland | Hilary Benn | ||
Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland | Fleur Anderson | ||
Parliamentary Private Secretary | Kate Osborne | ||
Shadow Spokesperson for Northern Ireland | The Baroness Smith of Basildon |
Scotland | |||
---|---|---|---|
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland | Ian Murray | ||
Shadow Minister for Scotland | Gerald Jones | ||
Michael Shanks | |||
Shadow Spokesperson for Scotland | The Lord McNicol |
Wales | |||
---|---|---|---|
Shadow Secretary of State for Wales | Jo Stevens | ||
Shadow Minister for Wales | Jessica Morden | ||
Shadow Spokesperson for Wales | The Baroness Wilcox of Newport |
House of Commons Whips | |||
---|---|---|---|
Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Commons | Alan Campbell | ||
Opposition Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Commons | Holly Lynch (Legislation) | ||
Mark Tami (Accommodation and Pairing) | |||
Shadow Vice Chamberlain of His Majesty's Household | |||
Opposition Whip in the House of Commons | Chris Elmore Senior Opposition Whip | ||
Jeff Smith Senior Legislation Whip | |||
Colleen Fletcher | |||
Samantha Dixon | |||
Mary Glindon | |||
Gerald Jones | |||
Keir Mather | |||
Christian Wakeford | |||
Tonia Antoniazzi | |||
Taiwo Owatemi | |||
Andrew Western |
The shadow cabinet or shadow ministry is a feature of the Westminster system of government. It consists of a senior group of opposition spokespeople who, under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition, form an alternative cabinet to that of the government, and whose members shadow or mirror the positions of each individual member of the Cabinet. Their areas of responsibility, in parallel with the ruling party's ministries, may be referred to as a shadow portfolio. Members of a shadow cabinet have no executive power. It is the shadow cabinet's responsibility to scrutinise the policies and actions of the government, as well as to offer alternative policies. The shadow cabinet makes up the majority of the Official Opposition frontbench, as part of frontbenchers to the parliament. Smaller opposition parties in Britain and Ireland have Frontbench Teams.
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On 29 November 2021, Keir Starmer, Leader of the Opposition in the United Kingdom, carried out a reshuffle of his shadow cabinet. The slimmed down shadow cabinet, was seen to be Starmer creating a top team in his own image.
The frontbench of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition in the Parliament of the United Kingdom consists of the Shadow Cabinet and other official shadow ministers of the political party currently serving as the Official Opposition. The Opposition front bench provide Parliamentary opposition to the British Government front bench, and is currently the Labour Party led by Keir Starmer since April 2020.
On 4 September 2023, Keir Starmer, Leader of the UK Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition, carried out a reshuffle of his shadow cabinet. This was his third major reshuffle and was described as promoting his loyalists to senior roles.
As they are not members of the government, PPSs are also barred from speaking or answering questions from the frontbench in parliament.