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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.
The Leader of His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition, more commonly referred to as the Leader of the Opposition, is the person who leads the Official Opposition in the United Kingdom. The position is seen as the shadow head of government of the United Kingdom and thus the shadow prime minister of the United Kingdom.
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.
The Liberal Democrats are a political party in the United Kingdom. While in opposition, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats appoints a frontbench team of members of Parliament (MPs), peers in the House of Lords, members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), and members of the Senedd (MSs) to speak for the party on different issues. Their areas of responsibility broadly corresponded to those of Government ministers. The frontbench team is divided into departmental sub-units, the principal ones being the economy, foreign policy, and home affairs. Sometimes the frontbench team consists of more than just the principal positions.
The leader of the Conservative Party is the highest position within the United Kingdom's Conservative Party. The current holder of the position is Kemi Badenoch, who was elected to the position on 2 November 2024, following her victory against Robert Jenrick in the party's leadership election.
The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury is a junior ministerial post in His Majesty's Treasury, ranked below the First Lord of the Treasury, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Paymaster General and the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, and alongside the Economic Secretary to the Treasury. It ranks at Parliamentary Secretary level and the holder does not attend Cabinet.
Melvyn John Stride is a British politician who has served as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in Kemi Badenoch’s Shadow Cabinet since November 2024. A member of the Conservative Party, he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Central Devon since 2010.
The shadow secretary of state for housing, communities and local government is a position with the UK Opposition's Shadow Cabinet; if the opposition party forms a new government, the designated person is a likely choice to become the new secretary of state for housing, communities and local government.
James Roger Cartlidge is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for South Suffolk since 2015. A member of the Conservative Party, he has been Shadow Secretary of State for Defence since 2024.
Olukemi "Kemi" Olufunto Adegoke Badenoch is a British politician who has served as Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Conservative Party since November 2024. The first black person to hold those offices, she previously served in the Cabinet under Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak from 2022 to 2024. She has been Member of Parliament (MP) for North West Essex, previously Saffron Walden, since 2017.
His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition, commonly known as the Official Opposition in the United Kingdom, is the main political opposition to His Majesty's Government. This is usually the political party with the second-largest number of seats in the House of Commons, as the largest party will usually form the government.
Michael Alex Burghart is a British politician, academic and former teacher who has served as Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland since 8 July 2024, and Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster since 5 November 2024. A member of the Conservative Party, he has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Brentwood and Ongar since 2017.
Julia Louise Lopez is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hornchurch and Upminster since 2017. She served as Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from July until November 2024.
Lee Benjamin Rowley is a British politician and former management consultant who has served as Chief of Staff to the Leader of the Opposition since November 2024. He previously served as Minister of State for Housing, Planning and Building Safety from November 2023 to July 2024. A member of the Conservative Party, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for North East Derbyshire from 2017 to 2024. He previously served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Government and Building Safety between October 2022 and November 2023.
Laura Trott is a British politician currently serving as Shadow Education Secretary since November 2024. She previously served as Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury from July to November 2024. A member of the Conservative Party, she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sevenoaks since 2019.
The frontbench of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition in the Parliament of the United Kingdom consists of the Shadow Cabinet and other shadow ministers of the political party currently serving as the Official Opposition. From 2005 to 2010, Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition was the Conservative Party, and the Leader of the Opposition was David Cameron.
Rishi Sunak was Leader of the Opposition as Leader of the Conservative Party from 5 July to 2 November 2024, following his resignation as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the aftermath of the Conservative Party's defeat in the 2024 general election. He formed his shadow cabinet on 8 July 2024. Sunak served as Leader of the Opposition in a caretaker capacity until his successor was elected in the 2024 Conservative leadership election; the result was announced on 2 November.
The frontbench of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition in the Parliament of the United Kingdom consists of the Shadow cabinet and other shadow ministers of the political party which served as His Majesty's Official Opposition was the Conservative Party from 5 July 2024 to 2 November 2024. The Leader of the Opposition was Rishi Sunak.
Kemi Badenoch has served as the Leader of the Opposition as Leader of the Conservative Party since 2 November 2024, following her victory in the 2024 Conservative Leadership election. The election was triggered by Rishi Sunak's resignation as party leader following the 2024 general election, which the Labour Party under Keir Starmer won.
The frontbench of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition in the Parliament of the United Kingdom consists of the Shadow cabinet and other shadow ministers of the political party currently serving as the Official Opposition. Since 2024, His Majesty's Loyal Opposition is the Conservative Party, and the Leader of the Opposition is Kemi Badenoch.
References
- ↑ Balls, Katy (2 November 2024). "What Kemi Badenoch's victory means for the Conservatives". The Spectator.