Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (United Kingdom)

The Official Loyal Opposition Shadow Cabinet (usually known simply as the 'Shadow Cabinet') is, in British parliamentary practice, senior members of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition who scrutinise their corresponding ministers 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.

Members of the Shadow Cabinet

Acting Leader of the Opposition Harriet Harman has yet to announce a new Shadow Cabinet following the 2015 General Election. The holders of the relevant posts before the Election are listed below, where they remain as sitting MPs, with the posts to which this does not apply shown as vacant.

Portfolio	Shadow Minister
Leader of Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition Leader of the Labour Party Chair of the Labour Party Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport	The Rt Hon Harriet Harman MP
Shadow Deputy Prime Minister Deputy Leader of the Labour Party	Vacant
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer	TBA
Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs	TBA
Shadow Secretary of State for the Home Department	The Rt Hon Catherine McKinnell MP
Shadow Lord Chancellor Shadow Secretary of State for Justice Shadow Minister for London	The Rt Hon Sadiq Khan MP
Shadow Chief Whip in 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 Business, Innovation and Skills	Chuka Umunna MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions	Rachel Reeves MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Education	Tristram Hunt MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Defence	Vernon Coaker MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government	The Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change	The Rt Hon Caroline Flint MP
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons	Angela Eagle MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport	Michael Dugher MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland	Ivan Lewis MP
Shadow Secretary of State for International Development	The Rt Hon Mary Creagh MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland	TBA
Shadow Secretary of State for Wales	Owen Smith MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs	Maria Eagle MP
Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office Vice Chair of General Election Strategy	Lucy Powell MP
Shadow Minister without Portfolio Deputy Chair of the Labour Party	Jon Trickett MP
Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities	Gloria De Piero MP
Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury	Chris Leslie MP
Shadow Leader of the House of Lords	The Rt Hon Baroness Royall of Blaisdon PC
Opposition Chief Whip in 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 for Housing	Emma Reynolds MP
Shadow Attorney General for England and Wales	Lord Bach
Shadow Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)	Lord Wood of Anfield
Labour Party Policy Review Co-ordinator Chairman of the Manifesto Group	Jon Cruddas MP

Sources: Parliament.uk Labour Shadow Cabinet

See also

• List of British shadow cabinets
• 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