List of shadow holders of the Great Offices of State

Last updated December 12, 2023

This is a list shadow holders of the Great Offices of State in the United Kingdom's Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet since Hugh Gaitskell's Shadow Cabinet of 1955. The purpose of the Shadow Cabinet is to scrutinise the opposing ministers, develop alternate policies, and hold the government to account for its actions in a form of checks and balances. The Opposition Shadow Cabinet is made up of about 20 ministers from the largest opposition party.

List

		Leader of the Opposition	Shadow Chancellor	Shadow Foreign Secretary	Shadow Home Secretary
Conservative (Eden)	Labour (Gaitskell)	Hugh Gaitskell 14 December 1955 – 18 January 1963†	Harold Wilson 14 December 1955 – 2 November 1961	Alfred Robens 14 December 1955 – 22 July 1956	Kenneth Younger 14 December 1955 – 13 May 1957
Conservative (Eden)				Aneurin Bevan 22 July 1956 – 11 October 1959	Kenneth Younger 14 December 1955 – 13 May 1957
Conservative (Macmillan)				Aneurin Bevan 22 July 1956 – 11 October 1959	Patrick Gordon Walker 13 May 1957 – 12 March 1962
				Denis Healey 11 October 1959 – 2 November 1961
			James Callaghan 2 November 1961 – 15 October 1964	Harold Wilson 2 November 1961 – 14 February 1963
				Harold Wilson 2 November 1961 – 14 February 1963	George Brown 12 March 1962 – 15 February 1963
Conservative (Douglas- Home)	Labour (Wilson I)	Harold Wilson 14 February 1963 – 16 October 1964		Patrick Gordon Walker 14 February 1963 – 15 October 1964	Frank Soskice 15 February 1963 – 15 October 1964

Labour (Wilson I–II)	Conservative (Douglas-Home)	Sir Alec Douglas-Home 16 October 1964 – 28 July 1965	Reginald Maudling 15 October 1964 – 16 February 1965	R. A. Butler 15 October 1964 – 16 February 1965	Edward Boyle 15 October 1964 – 1965
	Conservative (Douglas-Home)	Sir Alec Douglas-Home 16 October 1964 – 28 July 1965	Edward Heath 16 February 1965 – 11 November 1965	Reginald Maudling 16 February 1965 – 11 November 1965	Peter Thorneycroft 1965 – 13 April 1966
	Conservative (Heath I )	Edward Heath 28 July 1965 – 18 June 1970	Iain Macleod 11 November 1965 – 20 June 1970	Christopher Soames 11 November 1965 – 13 April 1966	Peter Thorneycroft 1965 – 13 April 1966
	Conservative (Heath I )	Edward Heath 28 July 1965 – 18 June 1970	Iain Macleod 11 November 1965 – 20 June 1970	Sir Alec Douglas-Home 13 April 1966 – 18 June 1970	Quintin Hogg 13 April 1966 – 18 June 1970

Conservative (Heath )	Labour (Wilson II )	Harold Wilson 19 June 1970 – 4 March 1974	Roy Jenkins 20 June 1970 – 19 April 1972	Denis Healey 20 June 1970 – 19 April 1972	James Callaghan 18 June 1970 – 19 October 1971
			Roy Jenkins 20 June 1970 – 19 April 1972	Denis Healey 20 June 1970 – 19 April 1972	Shirley Williams 19 October 1971 – 4 May 1973
			Denis Healey 19 April 1972 – 28 February 1974	James Callaghan 19 April 1972 – 28 February 1974	Shirley Williams 19 October 1971 – 4 May 1973
			Denis Healey 19 April 1972 – 28 February 1974	James Callaghan 19 April 1972 – 28 February 1974	Roy Jenkins 4 May 1973 – 4 March 1974

Labour (Wilson III–IV )	Conservative (Heath II )	Edward Heath 4 March 1974 – 11 February 1975	Robert Carr 28 February 1974 – 11 February 1975	Geoffrey Rippon 28 February 1974 – 11 February 1975	Keith Joseph 4 March 1974 – 11 February 1975
Labour (Wilson III–IV )	Conservative (Thatcher )	Margaret Thatcher 11 February 1975 – 4 May 1979	Sir Geoffrey Howe 11 February 1975 – 4 May 1979	Reginald Maudling 11 February 1975 – 11 April 1976	Ian Gilmour 11 February 1975 – 11 April 1976
Labour (Callaghan )				John Davies 11 April 1976 – 23 September 1978	William Whitelaw 11 April 1976 – 4 May 1979
Labour (Callaghan )				Francis Pym 23 September 1978 – 4 May 1979	William Whitelaw 11 April 1976 – 4 May 1979

Conservative (Thatcher )	Labour (Callaghan )	James Callaghan 4 May 1979 – 10 November 1980	Denis Healey 4 May 1979 – 4 November 1980	Peter Shore 4 May 1979 – 4 November 1980	Merlyn Rees 4 May 1979 – 4 November 1980
	Labour (Foot )	Michael Foot 10 November 1980 – 2 October 1983	Peter Shore 4 November 1980 – 9 June 1983	Denis Healey 4 November 1980 – 13 June 1987	Roy Hattersley 4 November 1980 – 2 October 1983
	Labour (Kinnock )	Neil Kinnock 2 October 1983 – 18 July 1992	Roy Hattersley 9 June 1983 – 11 June 1987	Denis Healey 4 November 1980 – 13 June 1987	Gerald Kaufman 2 October 1983 – 13 June 1987
			John Smith 11 June 1987 – 18 July 1992	Gerald Kaufman 11 June 1987 – 19 July 1992	Roy Hattersley 13 June 1987 – 19 July 1992
Conservative (Major )			John Smith 11 June 1987 – 18 July 1992	Gerald Kaufman 11 June 1987 – 19 July 1992	Roy Hattersley 13 June 1987 – 19 July 1992
	Labour (Smith )	John Smith 18 July 1992 – 12 May 1994†	Gordon Brown 18 July 1992 – 2 May 1997	Jack Cunningham 11 April 1992 – 22 July 1994	Tony Blair 19 July 1992 – 22 July 1994
	Labour (Beckett )	Margaret Beckett‡ 12 May 1994 – 21 July 1994		Jack Cunningham 11 April 1992 – 22 July 1994	Tony Blair 19 July 1992 – 22 July 1994
	Labour (Blair )	Tony Blair 21 July 1994 – 2 May 1997		Robin Cook 22 July 1994 – 2 May 1997	Jack Straw 22 July 1994 – 2 May 1997

Labour (Blair )	Conservative (Major )	John Major 7 May 1997 – 11 June 1997	Kenneth Clarke 2 May 1997 – 11 June 1997	John Major 7 May 1997 – 11 June 1997	Michael Howard 2 May 1997 – 11 June 1997
	Conservative (Hague )	William Hague 19 June 1997 – 18 December 2001	Peter Lilley 11 June 1997 – 2 June 1998	Michael Howard 11 June 1997 – 15 June 1999	Brian Mawhinney 11 June 1997 – 2 June 1998
			Francis Maude 2 June 1998 – 1 February 2000	Michael Howard 11 June 1997 – 15 June 1999	Norman Fowler 2 June 1998 – 15 June 1999
			Francis Maude 2 June 1998 – 1 February 2000	John Maples 15 June 1999 – 2 February 2000	Ann Widdecombe 15 June 1999 – 18 September 2001
			Michael Portillo 1 February 2000 – 18 September 2001	Francis Maude 2 February 2000 – 18 September 2001	Ann Widdecombe 15 June 1999 – 18 September 2001
	Conservative (Duncan Smith )	Iain Duncan Smith 18 September 2001 – 6 November 2003	Michael Howard 18 September 2001 – 6 November 2003	Michael Ancram 18 September 2001 – 10 May 2005	Oliver Letwin 18 September 2001 – 6 November 2003
	Conservative (Howard )	Michael Howard 6 November 2003 – 6 December 2005	Oliver Letwin 6 November 2003 – 5 May 2005	Michael Ancram 18 September 2001 – 10 May 2005	David Davis 6 November 2003 – 12 June 2008
	Conservative (Howard )	Michael Howard 6 November 2003 – 6 December 2005	George Osborne 5 May 2005 – 6 May 2010	Liam Fox 10 May 2005 – 6 December 2005
	Conservative (Cameron )	David Cameron 6 December 2005 – 6 May 2010		William Hague 6 December 2005 – 6 May 2010
Labour (Brown )					Dominic Grieve 12 June 2008 – 19 January 2009
Labour (Brown )					Chris Grayling 19 January 2009 – 6 May 2010

Conservative – Liberal Democrat (Cameron–Clegg )	Labour (Harman I )	Harriet Harman‡ 11 May 2010 – 25 September 2010	Alistair Darling 11 May 2010 – 8 October 2010	David Miliband 11 May 2010 – 8 October 2010	Alan Johnson 11 May 2010 – 8 October 2010
	Labour (Miliband )	Ed Miliband 25 September 2010 – 8 May 2015	Alan Johnson 8 October 2010 – 20 January 2011	Yvette Cooper 8 October 2010 – 20 January 2011	Ed Balls 8 October 2010 – 20 January 2011
	Labour (Miliband )	Ed Miliband 25 September 2010 – 8 May 2015	Ed Balls 20 January 2011 – 11 May 2015	Douglas Alexander 20 January 2011 – 11 May 2015	Yvette Cooper 20 January 2011 – 12 September 2015
Conservative (Cameron II )	Labour (Harman II )	Harriet Harman‡ 8 May 2015 – 12 September 2015	Chris Leslie 11 May 2015 – 12 September 2015	Hilary Benn 11 May 2015 – 26 June 2016	Yvette Cooper 20 January 2011 – 12 September 2015
Conservative (Cameron II )	Labour (Corbyn )	Jeremy Corbyn 12 September 2015 – 4 April 2020	John McDonnell 13 September 2015 – 5 April 2020	Hilary Benn 11 May 2015 – 26 June 2016	Andy Burnham 13 September 2015 – 28 September 2016
Conservative (May )				Emily Thornberry 27 June 2016 – 5 April 2020	Diane Abbott 6 October 2016 – 5 April 2020
Conservative (Johnson )				Emily Thornberry 27 June 2016 – 5 April 2020	Diane Abbott 6 October 2016 – 5 April 2020
	Labour (Starmer )	Sir Keir Starmer 4 April 2020 –	Anneliese Dodds 5 April 2020 – 9 May 2021	Lisa Nandy 5 April 2020 – 29 November 2021	Nick Thomas-Symonds 5 April 2020 – 29 November 2021
			Rachel Reeves 9 May 2021 –	Lisa Nandy 5 April 2020 – 29 November 2021	Nick Thomas-Symonds 5 April 2020 – 29 November 2021
				David Lammy 29 November 2021 –	Yvette Cooper 29 November 2021 –
Conservative (Truss)
Conservative (Sunak)

†Died in office

‡Served as interim leader

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List of shadow holders of the Great Offices of State

List

See also

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