Newly elected Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has started naming her shadow cabinet, with the promise of a full team in place by Tuesday morning. The appointments provide insight into the direction Badenoch plans to take the party and feature some notable surprises and recognizable names.
Mel Stride Named Shadow Chancellor
In a move that surprised many pundits, relative centrist Mel Stride has been chosen as shadow chancellor over Badenoch ally Andrew Griffith. Stride, who most recently served as work and pensions secretary, is seen as a safe pair of hands with experience as a Treasury minister and chair of the Treasury select committee.
However, Stride’s appointment hasn’t been without controversy. During his own brief leadership bid, it emerged that in 2012 he had called for looser rules on maternity rights to boost business – a position that could raise eyebrows among some voters.
Priti Patel Returns as Shadow Foreign Secretary
Priti Patel, who was the first candidate eliminated in the recent leadership contest, has been rewarded for her enthusiastic support of Badenoch with the high-profile role of shadow foreign secretary. An MP since 2010 with a decade of frontbench experience, Patel certainly has the credentials for the job.
But some in the party worry the appointment could be a liability, given Patel’s penchant for controversy. Her first cabinet role as international development secretary ended in resignation after she was found to be conducting her own freelance foreign policy in Israel. As home secretary under Boris Johnson, she narrowly avoided dismissal after an investigation found evidence she had bullied civil servants.
Robert Jenrick Given Shadow Justice Brief
Robert Jenrick, the last candidate standing against Badenoch in the membership vote, has been handed the shadow justice brief in what is either a snub or an olive branch, depending on who you ask. The former housing minister has in recent years reinvented himself as a leading voice on the Tory right, calling for reduced immigration and tougher law and order policies.
Rising Stars and Trusted Allies Round Out Top Team
Other key appointments include Laura Trott as shadow education secretary, a promotion for the rising star and early Badenoch backer who has been compared to Margaret Thatcher. Veteran whip Rebecca Harris takes over as chief whip with the tricky task of instilling discipline in a parliamentary party where only a third of MPs backed Badenoch for leader.
Nigel Huddleston and Dominic Johnson have been named Conservative Party co-chairs – Huddleston a centrist pick to balance Johnson’s position on the Tory right. Their job will be to unite the disparate factions of the party behind Badenoch’s leadership.
This is a shadow cabinet that rewards loyalty but also reaches out to different wings of the party. Badenoch’s choices suggest she is trying to build a broad coalition, but major tests lie ahead to prove she can make it work.
– Conservative strategist
The new Conservative leader still has a number of posts yet to fill, with more appointments expected in the coming hours. But the key pillars of her opposition front bench are now in place, offering the first real clues about how Kemi Badenoch intends to take on Rishi Sunak’s government and rebuild her battered party. All eyes will be on this new generation of Conservative leaders as they begin the daunting task ahead.
