The shadow secretary of state for defence is a member of the UK Shadow Cabinet responsible for the scrutiny of the secretary of state for defence and the department, the Ministry of Defence. The post is currently held by James Cartlidge.
List of shadow secretaries for defence Shadow ministers of defenceName Entered office Left office Political party Shadow Cabinet Richard Stokes15 July 195530 November 1956 Labour Clement Attlee Gaitskell George Brown 30 November 1956 30 November 1961 Labour Patrick Gordon Walker 30 November 1961 22 February 1963 Labour Brown Denis Healey 22 February 1963 1 April 1964 Labour Wilson I Shadow secretaries of state for defenceName Entered office Left office Political party Shadow Cabinet Denis Healey 1 April 1964 16 October 1964 Labour Wilson I Peter Thorneycroft 16 October 1964 16 February 1965 Conservative Douglas-Home Christopher Soames 16 February 1965 4 August 1965 Conservative Enoch Powell 4 August 1965 21 April 1968 Conservative Heath I Reginald Maudling 21 April 1968 14 November 1968 Conservative Geoffrey Rippon 14 November 1968 19 June 1970 Conservative Denis Healey 19 June 1970 24 July 1970 Labour Wilson II George Thomson 24 July 1970 10 April 1972 Labour Roy Hattersley 11 April 1972 7 December 1972 Labour Fred Peart 7 December 1972 4 March 1974 Labour Ian Gilmour 4 March 1974 19 June 1974 Conservative Heath II Peter Walker 19 June 1974 18 February 1975 Conservative George Younger 18 February 1975 15 January 1976 Conservative Thatcher Ian Gilmour 15 January 1976 4 May 1979 Conservative Fred Mulley 4 May 1979 14 June 1979 Labour Callaghan William Rodgers 14 June 1979 8 December 1980 Labour Brynmor John 8 December 1980 24 November 1981 Labour FootJohn Silkin 24 November 1981 26 October 1984 Labour Kinnock Denzil Davies 26 October 1984 14 June 1988 Labour Martin O'Neill 14 June 1988 18 July 1992 LabourDavid Clark18 July 19922 May 1997 Labour Smith Beckett Blair John Major 2 May 1997 11 June 1997 Conservative Major George Young 11 June 1997 1 June 1998 Conservative Hague John Maples 1 June 1998 15 June 1999 Conservative Iain Duncan Smith 15 June 1999 18 September 2001 Conservative Bernard Jenkin 18 September 2001 6 November 2003 Conservative Duncan Smith Nicholas Soames 6 November 2003 10 May 2005 Conservative Howard Michael Ancram 10 May 2005 6 December 2005 Conservative Liam Fox 7 December 2005 11 May 2010 Conservative Cameron Bob Ainsworth 12 May 2010 8 October 2010 Labour Harman I Jim Murphy 8 October 2010 7 October 2013 Labour Miliband Vernon Coaker 7 October 2013 14 September 2015 Labour Harman II Maria Eagle 14 September 2015 5 January 2016 Labour Corbyn Emily Thornberry 5 January 2016 27 June 2016 Labour Clive Lewis 27 June 2016 6 October 2016 Labour Nia Griffith 6 October 2016 6 April 2020 Labour John Healey 6 April 2020 5 July 2024 Labour Starmer James Cartlidge 8 July 2024 Incumbent Conservative SunakBadenoch
See also
Secretary of State for Defence Ministry of Defence UK Shadow Cabinet
References
External links