Newly elected Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has made significant appointments to her shadow cabinet, marking a new chapter for the party. According to the BBC, Priti Patel has been appointed as the shadow foreign secretary, while Mel Stride will serve as the shadow chancellor. Both Patel and Stride were prominent candidates in the early stages of the Tory leadership race.
In addition to Patel and Stride, Laura Trott has taken on the role of shadow education secretary, with Neil O’Brien appointed as shadow education minister. They have already participated in their new roles during Education Questions in the House of Commons. Furthermore, Nigel Huddleston and Lord Dominic Johnson have been named as joint chairmen of the Conservative party.
These appointments follow the selection of Dame Rebecca Harris as the Tory chief whip. Badenoch secured her position as leader after defeating Robert Jenrick in a recent election.
Badenoch conveyed optimism about the party’s future during an address at Conservative headquarters, stating that the Tories could be back in government within five years. She emphasized that their immediate challenge lies in engaging with local Tories and regaining council seats in upcoming local elections scheduled for May.
Trott, who has represented Sevenoaks since 2019, previously served as a senior figure in the Treasury under Chancellor Jeremy Hunt. O’Brien, an MP since 2017 and former health minister, resigned from Sunak’s government last November and has taken a more critical stance from the backbenches.
While Trott and Huddleston backed Badenoch in her leadership bid, O’Brien had initially supported her rival Jenrick.
Badenoch has expressed her intention to include individuals from various factions within the party, aiming for a meritocratic shadow cabinet that reflects diversity in experience and geographical representation. She mentioned that a formal announcement regarding the complete shadow cabinet is anticipated before its first meeting on Tuesday.
Despite these changes, there are challenges ahead. The current Labour government boasts 120 ministers, which may complicate efforts for the Tories to shadow all posts effectively due to their limited number of 121 MPs.
In other developments, former leaders such as James Cleverly, Jeremy Hunt, and others have opted to remain on the backbenches rather than serve in Badenoch’s new cabinet. As she embarks on this journey, Badenoch stands out as not only a leader but also as the first black woman to helm a major political party in the UK.
Kemi Badenoch’s New Appointments in the Conservative Party Newly elected Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has begun to assemble her top team ahead of the inaugural shadow cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Kemi Badenoch’s New Shadow Cabinet New Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has made significant appointments to her shadow cabinet. Key figures include Dame Priti Patel as shadow foreign secretary and Mel Stride as shadow chancellor.