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.[1] 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


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

Lord Chancellor

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

    References

    1. ↑ "Shadow cabinet". Institute for Government. Retrieved 18 April 2022. The shadow cabinet is made up of senior members of the main opposition party in Westminster who act as spokespeople for the opposition in specific policy areas. Their job is to scrutinise those they 'shadow' in government, and develop policies for their party.
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