Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has appointed her full top team, with former City minister Andrew Griffith taking on the role of shadow business and trade secretary.
The Conservative leader appointed her former rival candidates Mel Stride and Dame Priti Patel as her shadow Chancellor and shadow foreign secretary last night, as well as making Laura Trott shadow education secretary.
Tory leadership finalist Robert Jenrick has been appointed as shadow justice secretary, after losing to Badenoch in the final vote among party members.
And ahead of her first shadow cabinet meeting this morning, Badenoch has appointed her full slate of shadow ministers, who will take on Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government.
She said: “I am delighted to have appointed my shadow cabinet, which draws on the talents of people from across the Conservative Party, based on meritocracy and with a breadth of experience and perspective, just as I promised during the campaign.”
Former policing minister Chris Philp has been appointed shadow home secretary, while the existing shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge has retained his role.
Interim party chairman Richard Fuller will become shadow chief secretary to the Treasury.
Ed Argar, a former junior health minister, has been made shadow health and social care secretary, and the former business minister Kevin Hollinrake has been appointed shadow levelling up, housing and communities secretary.
Badenoch has appointed Victoria Atkins, former health secretary under Rishi Sunak, as shadow environment secretary, while Claire Coutinho, Sunak’s energy secretary, held on to her role – and gained the brief of shadow minister for equalities.
Former care minister Helen Whately secured the role of shadow work and pensions secretary, and Orpington MP Gareth Bacon has been appointed shadow transport secretary.
The shadow culture, media and sport brief went to Stuart Andrew, while Alan Mak was made shadow science, innovation and technology secretary.
Alex Burghart became shadow Northern Ireland secretary and shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster; Andrew Bowie was appointed shadow Scotland secretary – and shadow energy minister; while Mims Davies took the role of shadow Wales secretary and shadow minister for women.
Badenoch appointed her chief whip, Dame Rebecca Harris, shortly after winning the leadership contest, as well as making Nigel Huddleston and Lord Dominic Johnson the co-chairmen of the Conservative Party.
She also made Jesse Norman the shadow leader of the House of Commons, and Lord True the shadow leader of the House of Lords; while Badenoch’s parliamentary private secretary, Julia Lopez, will also attend cabinet meetings.
Further appointments of junior shadow ministerial roles are expected on a rolling basis.
“Our party’s problems will only be solved with a team effort, and I am confident my shadow cabinet ministers will deliver effective opposition as we seek to win back the trust of the public,” Badenoch added.
“We will now get to work holding Labour to account and rebuilding our party based on Conservative principles and values. The process of renewing our great party has now begun.”
But Lib Dem cabinet office spokesperson Sarah Olney criticised the slate of appointments as “a recipe for yet more Conservative chaos”.
She said: “From a shadow justice secretary who wants to leave the ECHR to a shadow foreign secretary who had to resign for holding undisclosed meetings, this shadow cabinet has more than a ‘whiff of impropriety’.
“Every major challenge that this country faces the Conservative Party is responsible for.”
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