Sunak shadow cabinet

Rishi Sunak was Leader of the Opposition as Leader of the Conservative Party from 5 July to 2 November 2024, following his resignation as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the aftermath of the Conservative Party's defeat in the 2024 general election. He formed his shadow cabinet on 8 July 2024. Sunak served as Leader of the Opposition in a caretaker capacity until his successor was elected in the 2024 Conservative leadership election; the result was announced on 2 November.

Sunak Shadow Cabinet

Shadow cabinet of the United Kingdom
JulyNovember 2024
Sunak with members of his shadow cabinet during a session of Prime Minister's Questions in July 2024
Date formed8 July 2024
Date dissolved2 November 2024
People and organisations
MonarchCharles III
Leader of the OppositionRishi Sunak
Shadow Deputy Prime MinisterOliver Dowden
Member party
  •   Conservative
Status in legislatureOfficial Opposition
121 / 650 (19%)
History
Legislature terms2024 UK Parliament
Incoming formation2024 general election
Outgoing formation2024 Conservative leadership election
PredecessorStarmer shadow cabinet
SuccessorBadenoch shadow cabinet

Overview

In his resignation speech, Rishi Sunak announced that he would resign as the Conservative leader once the arrangements are in place for his successor to be elected in the 2024 Conservative leadership election. He formed his shadow cabinet on 8 July 2024. This was the party's first shadow cabinet since the Cameron shadow cabinet, which was disbanded in 2010 after Cameron formed a coalition government with Nick Clegg's Liberal Democrats following that year's general election.

Most members of Sunak's cabinet heading into the 2024 general election were given the same portfolios in the shadow cabinet, including former chancellor Jeremy Hunt, who became shadow chancellor, and former Home Secretary James Cleverly, who became Shadow Home Secretary. Cameron, who previously served as Foreign Secretary, chose to retire from frontline politics, with his former deputy Andrew Mitchell becoming Shadow Foreign Secretary instead. Richard Holden resigned as party chairman, and was succeeded by Richard Fuller in an interim capacity outside shadow cabinet.

Sunak appointed new officeholders to the portfolios held by the eleven cabinet ministers who lost their seats in the election, including Edward Argar, who became shadow justice secretary after the outgoing justice secretary Alex Chalk lost his seat, as well as Helen Whately, who became shadow transport secretary after the outgoing transport secretary Mark Harper also lost his seat. Among other noteworthy appointments, Kemi Badenoch became the shadow housing, communities and local government secretary and former deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden became deputy leader of the opposition.

Sunak served as Leader of the Opposition in a caretaker capacity until his successor was elected in the 2024 Conservative leadership election; the result was announced on 2 November.

Shadow cabinet appointments

Key
Sits in the House of Commons
Sits in the House of Lords
Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet of the United Kingdom
Portfolio Shadow Minister Constituency Term
Shadow cabinet ministers
Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Conservative Party
The Rt Hon
Rishi Sunak
MP
Richmond and Northallerton July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Deputy Prime Minister
Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Rt Hon
Sir Oliver Dowden
KCB CBE MP
Hertsmere July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer The Rt Hon
Jeremy Hunt
MP
Godalming and Ash July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs The Rt Hon
Andrew Mitchell
MP
Sutton Coldfield July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Home Secretary The Rt Hon
James Cleverly
TD VR MP
Braintree July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Secretary of State for Defence James Cartlidge
MP
South Suffolk July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Lord Chancellor

Shadow Secretary of State for Justice

The Rt Hon
Ed Argar
MP
Melton and Syston July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Andrew Griffith
MP
Arundel and South Downs July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care The Rt Hon
Victoria Atkins
MP
Louth and Horncastle July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities The Rt Hon
Kemi Badenoch
MP
North West Essex July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs The Rt Hon
Steve Barclay
MP
North East Cambridgeshire July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons The Rt Hon
Chris Philp
MP
Croydon South July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Leader of the House of Lords The Rt Hon
The Lord True
CBE PC
Member of the
House of Lords
July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade Kevin Hollinrake
MP
Thirsk and Malton July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero The Rt Hon
Claire Coutinho
MP
East Surrey July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions The Rt Hon
Mel Stride
MP
Central Devon July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Secretary of State for Education The Rt Hon
Damian Hinds
MP
East Hampshire July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport Helen Whately
MP
Faversham and Mid Kent July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Julia Lopez
MP
Hornchurch and Upminster July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Alex Burghart
MP
Brentwood and Ongar July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland John Lamont
MP
Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Secretary of State for Wales The Rt Hon
The Lord Davies of Gower
Member of the
House of Lords
July 2024

November 2024
Also attending shadow cabinet meetings
Opposition Chief Whip of the House of Commons The Rt Hon
Stuart Andrew
MP
Daventry July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury The Rt Hon
Laura Trott
MBE MP
Sevenoaks July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Attorney General The Rt Hon
Jeremy Wright
KC MP
Kenilworth and Southam July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Paymaster General The Rt Hon
John Glen
MP
Salisbury July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Minister for Security The Rt Hon
Tom Tugendhat
MBE VR MP
Tonbridge July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Minister for Veterans Andrew Bowie
MP
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine July 2024

November 2024
Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities Mims Davies
MP
East Grinstead and Uckfield July 2024

November 2024

Junior roles

On 18 July, further junior frontbench roles were appointed.

Changes

Changes from Sunak's final Cabinet to Shadow Cabinet.
  • David Cameron (Foreign Secretary) resigned and was succeeded by Andrew Mitchell.
  • Mitchell was Deputy Foreign Secretary for question time in the Commons and attended Cabinet as Minister of State for Development and Africa. Harriett Baldwin was later announced as Shadow Development Minister, but did not attend Shadow Cabinet.
  • Grant Shapps (Defence Secretary) lost his seat and was succeeded by James Cartlidge.
  • Alex Chalk (Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor) lost his seat and was succeeded by Ed Argar.
  • Michelle Donelan (Science Secretary) lost her seat and was succeeded by Andrew Griffith.
  • Michael Gove (Housing and Communities Secretary and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations) stood down and was succeeded in the former role by Kemi Badenoch; the latter role did not have a successor named.
  • Badenoch (Business Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities) was succeeded by Kevin Hollinrake in the former role and Mims Davies in the latter role.
  • Penny Mordaunt (Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council) lost her seat and was succeeded by Chris Philp.
  • Gillian Keegan (Education Secretary) lost her seat and was succeeded by Damian Hinds.
  • Mark Harper (Transport Secretary) lost his seat and was succeeded by Helen Whately.
  • Lucy Frazer (Culture Secretary) lost her seat and was succeeded by Julia Lopez.
  • Richard Holden (Minister without Portfolio and party chair) resigned and was succeeded by Richard Fuller in an interim capacity outside Shadow Cabinet.
  • Chris Heaton-Harris (Northern Ireland Secretary) stood down and was succeeded by Alex Burghart.
  • Alister Jack (Scotland Secretary) stood down and was succeeded by John Lamont.
  • David T. C. Davies (Wales Secretary) lost his seat and was succeeded by The Lord Davies of Gower. No Conservative MPs were elected in Wales.
  • Simon Hart (Chief Whip of the House of Commons and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury), who attended Cabinet, lost his seat and was succeeded by Stuart Andrew.
  • Victoria Prentis (Attorney General), who attended Cabinet, lost her seat and was succeeded by Jeremy Wright.
  • Johnny Mercer (Minister of State for Veterans' Affairs), who attended Cabinet, lost his seat and was succeeded by Andrew Bowie.
  • Michael Tomlinson (Minister of State for Countering Illegal Migration), who attended Cabinet, lost his seat and was not succeeded by anybody.

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