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 until his successor was elected in the 2024 Conservative leadership election.
Overview In his resignation speech, Rishi Sunak announced that he would resign as the Conservative leader once the arrangements were 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 until his successor, Kemi Badenoch, was elected in the 2024 Conservative leadership election; the result was announced on 2 November.
Shadow cabinet appointments + KeySits in the House of CommonsSits in the House of Lords
+ Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet of the United KingdomPortfolioShadow MinisterConstituencyTermShadow cabinet ministersLeader of the OppositionLeader of the Conservative PartyRishi SunakRichmond and NorthallertonJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Deputy Prime MinisterShadow Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterSir Oliver DowdenHertsmereJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Chancellor of the ExchequerJeremy HuntGodalming and AshJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development AffairsAndrew MitchellSutton ColdfieldJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Home SecretaryJames CleverlyBraintreeJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Secretary of State for DefenceJames CartlidgeSouth SuffolkJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Lord Chancellor Shadow Secretary of State for JusticeEd ArgarMelton and SystonJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and TechnologyAndrew GriffithArundel and South DownsJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social CareVictoria AtkinsLouth and HorncastleJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and CommunitiesKemi BadenochNorth West EssexJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsSteve BarclayNorth East CambridgeshireJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Chris PhilpCroydon SouthJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Leader of the House of Lords The Lord TrueMember of theHouse of LordsJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Secretary of State for Business and TradeKevin HollinrakeThirsk and MaltonJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net ZeroClaire CoutinhoEast SurreyJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Secretary of State for Work and PensionsMel StrideCentral DevonJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Secretary of State for EducationDamian HindsEast HampshireJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Secretary of State for TransportHelen WhatelyFaversham and Mid KentJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and SportJulia LopezHornchurch and UpminsterJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Secretary of State for Northern IrelandAlex BurghartBrentwood and OngarJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Secretary of State for ScotlandJohn LamontBerwickshire, Roxburgh and SelkirkJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Secretary of State for WalesThe Lord Davies of GowerMember of theHouse of LordsJuly 2024–November 2024Also attending shadow cabinet meetingsOpposition Chief Whip of the House of CommonsStuart AndrewDaventryJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Chief Secretary to the TreasuryLaura TrottSevenoaksJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Attorney GeneralJeremy WrightKenilworth and SouthamJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Paymaster GeneralJohn GlenSalisburyJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Minister for SecurityTom TugendhatTonbridgeJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Minister for VeteransAndrew BowieWest Aberdeenshire and KincardineJuly 2024–November 2024Shadow Minister for Women and EqualitiesMims DaviesEast Grinstead and UckfieldJuly 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, Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton (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.https://x.com/pauljholmes/status/1814365536538493070 Grant Shapps (Defence Secretary) lost his seat and was succeeded by James Cartlidge. Alex Chalk (Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor) lost his seat and was succeeded by Ed Argar. Michelle Donelan (Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology) lost her seat and was succeeded by Andrew Griffith. Michael Gove (Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations) retired from the commons 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) retired from the commons 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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