Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero

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Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
Official portrait of Claire Coutinho MP, 2024.jpg
Incumbent
Claire Coutinho
since 8 July 2024
Appointer Leader of the Opposition
Inaugural holder Patrick Jenkin
Formation18 February 1975
Website The Shadow Cabinet

The Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero is a post in the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet. The shadow secretary originally helped hold the secretary of state for energy and climate change and junior ministers to account and is the lead spokesperson on energy and climate change issues for their party. The post currently holds the secretary of state for energy security and net zero to account in Parliament.

Contents

A previous Official Opposition post of shadow secretary of state for energy existed until the Department of Energy was merged into the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in 1992. In 2008, the Department for Energy and Climate Change was split from the DTI's successor department, effectively reviving the former department and the need for an Opposition shadow.

Following Theresa May's appointment as Prime Minister in July 2016, the department was disbanded and merged with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to form the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with the consequent ending of this shadow post.

It was revived during the Shadow Cabinet of Keir Starmer and given to Ed Miliband, the former Labour leader, who was then serving as Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy before his appointment.

Shadow Secretary of State for Energy (1974–1992)

NameTook officeLeft officePolitical partyLeader of the Opposition
Patrick Jenkin 18 February 197515 January 1976 Conservative Margaret Thatcher
John Biffen 15 January 197619 November 1976
Tom King Official portrait of Lord King of Bridgwater crop 2.jpg 19 November 19764 May 1979
Tony Benn 11.12.67 Presentation officielle du Concorde (1967) - 53Fi1748 (Tony Benn).jpg 4 May 197914 July 1979 Labour James Callaghan
David Owen David Owen-1.jpg 14 July 19794 November 1980
Merlyn Rees Merlyn Rees appearing on After Dark , 16 July 1988 - (cropped).jpg 4 November 198024 November 1982 Michael Foot
John Smith 24 November 19822 October 1983
Stan Orme 2 October 198313 July 1987 Neil Kinnock
John Prescott John Prescott on his last day as Deputy Prime Minister, June 2007.jpg 13 July 198723 November 1988
Tony Blair Tony Blair in 1997 High Quality.jpg 23 November 19882 November 1989
Frank Dobson Frank Dobson MP, crop.jpg 2 November 198918 July 1992

Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (2008–2016)

NameTook officeLeft officePolitical partyLeader of the Opposition
Greg Clark Official portrait of Rt Hon Greg Clark MP crop 2.jpg 6 October 200811 May 2010Conservative David Cameron
Ed Miliband Official portrait of Rt Hon Edward Miliband MP crop 2.jpg 11 May 20108 October 2010Labour Harriet Harman
Meg Hillier Official portrait of Meg Hillier MP crop 2.jpg 8 October 20107 October 2011 Ed Miliband
Caroline Flint Official portrait of Caroline Flint crop 2.jpg 7 October 201114 September 2015
Harriet Harman
Lisa Nandy Official portrait of Lisa Nandy MP crop 2.jpg 14 September 2015 27 June 2016 Jeremy Corbyn
Barry Gardiner Official portrait of Barry Gardiner MP crop 2.jpg 27 June 2016 8 October 2016

Shadow Secretary of State for Climate Change and Net Zero (2021-2023)

NameTook officeLeft officePolitical partyLeader of the Opposition
Ed Miliband Official portrait of Rt Hon Edward Miliband MP crop 2.jpg 29 November 2021 5 July 2024 Labour Keir Starmer

Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (2023-present)

NameTook officeLeft officePolitical partyLeader of the Opposition
Ed Miliband Official portrait of Rt Hon Edward Miliband MP crop 2.jpg 29 November 2021 5 July 2024 Labour Keir Starmer
Claire Coutinho Official portrait of Claire Coutinho MP crop 2, 2024.jpg 8 July 2024IncumbentConservative Rishi Sunak

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