Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (United Kingdom)

United Kingdom

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of the United Kingdom

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United Kingdom Shadow Cabinets
	Margaret Thatcher
	James Callaghan
	Michael Foot
	Neil Kinnock
	John Smith
	Margaret Beckett
	Tony Blair
	John Major
	William Hague
	Iain Duncan Smith
	Michael Howard
	David Cameron
	Harriet Harman
	Ed Miliband

The Official Loyal Opposition Shadow Cabinet (usually known simply as the 'Shadow Cabinet') are, in British parliamentary practice, senior members of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition who scrutinise their corresponding office holders in the Government, develop alternative policies, and hold the Government to account for its actions and responses. Since May 2010, the Labour Party has been Her Majesty's Loyal 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 20).

The Leader of the Opposition, the Opposition Chief Whip and Opposition Deputy Chief Whip are the only Members of the Official Opposition to draw remuneration for their Opposition roles in addition to their salaries as Members of Parliament.

Shadow Cabinet list

Ed Miliband reshuffled his Shadow Cabinet on 7 October 2011.

Portfolio	Shadow Minister
Leader of Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition Leader of the Labour Party	The Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP
Deputy Leader of the Opposition Shadow Deputy Prime Minister Deputy Leader of the Labour Party Labour Party Chair Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport	The Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer	The Rt Hon Ed Balls MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs	The Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP
Shadow Secretary of State for the Home Department Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities	The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP
Shadow Lord Chancellor Shadow Secretary of State for Justice	The Rt Hon Sadiq Khan MP
Shadow Chief Whip of the House of Commons	The Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Health	The Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Education	Stephen Twigg MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills	Chuka Umunna MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Defence	The Rt Hon Jim Murphy MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government	The Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons	Angela Eagle MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change	The Rt Hon Caroline Flint MP
Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury	Rachel Reeves MP
Shadow Minister for London Shadow Minister for the Olympics	The Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport	Maria Eagle MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Policy Review Co-ordinator	The Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP
Shadow Secretary of State for International Development	Ivan Lewis MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs	Mary Creagh MP
Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office	Jon Trickett MP
Labour Party Deputy Chair Campaign Coordinator	Tom Watson MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland	Vernon Coaker MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland	Margaret Curran MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Wales Chair of the National Policy Forum	The Rt Hon Peter Hain MP
Shadow Leader of the House of Lords	The Rt Hon Baroness Royall of Blaisdon PC
Shadow Chief Whip of the House of Lords	The Rt Hon Lord Bassam of Brighton PC
Also attends Shadow Cabinet meetings
Shadow Minister for Care and Older People	Liz Kendall MP
Shadow Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)	Michael Dugher MP
Shadow Attorney General for England and Wales	Emily Thornberry MP
Shadow Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)	Lord Wood of Anfield

Source: Parliament.uk Labour Shadow Cabinet

See also

• Official Opposition (United Kingdom)
• Official Opposition frontbench
• List of Shadow holders of Great Offices of State
• Cabinet of the United Kingdom
• Her Majesty's Government frontbench
• Labour Party Shadow Cabinet election, 2010
• Liberal Democrat Frontbench Team

External links

• Government & opposition - official UK Parliament webpage