Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (United Kingdom) facts for kids
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. 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
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 |
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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 | ||
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
- His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition (United Kingdom)
- Official Opposition frontbench
- List of British shadow cabinets
- List of shadow holders of the Great Offices of State
- Cabinet of the United Kingdom