The shadow minister for women and equalities (previously shadow minister for women, shadow minister for women and equality, shadow secretary of state for women and equalities) is a position in the United Kingdom's Official Opposition, and sits in the Shadow Cabinet. The shadow minister is responsible for holding the minister for women and equalities, responsible for the Government Equalities Office, to account and is responsible for Opposition policy on women's and equality issues.
| Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities | |
|---|---|
Incumbent since 8 July 2024Mims Davies | |
| Shadow Cabinet | |
| Appointer | Leader of the Opposition |
| Formation | 31 October 1983 |
| First holder | Jo Richardson |
| Website | Shadow Cabinet |
The post was upgraded to the Shadow Cabinet rank of shadow secretary of state following the snap general election of 2017, with Jeremy Corbyn indicating that if Labour win office at the next election, Women and Equalities will be upgraded to the full status of a government department. Keir Starmer continued this pledge but ultimately continued with a Minister for Women and Equalities when he entered government in July 2024. Previously, the post was often held together with a Shadow Cabinet post, but sometimes as a Shadow Cabinet post in its own right.
The position, since its creation in 1983, has always been held by a female member of parliament. The position has been held by Mims Davies of the Conservative Party since 8 July 2024.
Shadow ministers
| Shadow Minister | Took office | Left office | Party | Shadow Cabinet | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jo Richardson | 31 October 1983 | 18 July 1992 | Labour | Kinnock | ||
| Mo Mowlam | 18 July 1992 | 21 October 1993 | Smith | |||
| Clare Short | 21 October 1993 | 19 October 1995 | ||||
| Blair | ||||||
| Tessa Jowell | 19 October 1995 | 26 July 1996 | ||||
| Janet Anderson | 26 July 1996 | 2 May 1997 | ||||
| Gillian Shephard | 2 May 1997 | Unknown | Conservative | Major | ||
| Unclear | Hague | |||||
| Theresa May | 15 June 1999 | 14 September 2001 | ||||
| Caroline Spelman | 14 September 2001 | 15 March 2004 | Duncan Smith | |||
| Howard | ||||||
| Eleanor Laing | 15 March 2004 | 2 July 2007 | ||||
| Cameron | ||||||
| Theresa May | 2 July 2007 | 11 May 2010 | ||||
| Yvette Cooper | 20 May 2010 | 7 October 2013 | Labour | Harman I | ||
| Miliband | ||||||
| Gloria De Piero | 7 October 2013 | 14 September 2015 | ||||
| Harman II | ||||||
| Kate Green | 14 September 2015 | 27 June 2016 | Corbyn | |||
| Angela Rayner | 27 June 2016 | 6 October 2016 | ||||
| Sarah Champion | 6 October 2016 | 16 August 2017 | ||||
| Dawn Butler | 31 August 2017 | 6 April 2020 | ||||
| Marsha de Cordova | 6 April 2020 | 14 September 2021 | Starmer | |||
| Anneliese Dodds | 21 September 2021 | 4 July 2024 | ||||
| Mims Davies | 8 July 2024 | Incumbent | Conservative | Sunak | ||
| Badenoch | ||||||
See also
- Official Opposition frontbench
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