The shadow secretary of state for energy security and net zero is a post in the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet. The shadow secretary originally helped hold the secretary of state for energy and climate change and junior ministers to account and is the lead spokesperson on energy and climate change issues for their party. The post currently holds the secretary of state for energy security and net zero to account in Parliament.
A previous Official Opposition post of shadow secretary of state for energy existed until the Department of Energy was merged into the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in 1992. In 2008, the Department for Energy and Climate Change was split from the DTI's successor department, effectively reviving the former department and the need for an Opposition shadow.
Following Theresa May's appointment as Prime Minister in July 2016, the department was disbanded and merged with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to form the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with the consequent ending of this shadow post.
It was revived during the Starmer shadow cabinet and given to Ed Miliband, the former Labour leader, who was then serving as Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy before his appointment.
List of shadow secretaries for energy Shadow Minister for PowerName Took office Left office Political party Shadow Cabinet Philip Noel-Baker 15 July 1955 27 November 1956 Labour Attlee Gaitskell Harold Neal 27 November 1956 November 1959 Frederick Lee November 1959 November 1960 Ray Gunter November 1960 6 December 1961 Tom Fraser 6 December 1961 16 October 1964 Brown Wilson Frederick Erroll 16 October 1964 29 October 1964 Conservative Douglas-Home John Peyton 29 October 1964 19 April 1966 Heath Anthony Barber 19 April 1966 23 February 1967 Keith Joseph 23 February 1967 10 October 1967 Margaret Thatcher 10 October 1967 14 November 1968 John Eden 14 November 1968 19 June 1970Shadow Minister for Fuel and PowerName Took office Left office Political party Shadow Cabinet Michael Foot 22 July 1970 16 December 1971 Labour Wilson II Harold Lever 16 December 1971 11 April 1972 Eric Varley 11 April 1972 4 March 1974Shadow Secretary of State for EnergyName Took office Left office Political party Shadow Cabinet Patrick Jenkin 12 March 1974 15 January 1976 Conservative Heath II Thatcher John Biffen 15 January 1976 19 November 1976 Tom King 19 November 1976 4 May 1979 Tony Benn 4 May 1979 14 June 1979 Labour Callaghan David Owen 14 June 1979 4 November 1980 Merlyn Rees 4 November 1980 24 November 1982 Michael Foot John Smith 24 November 1982 2 October 1983 Stan Orme 2 October 1983 13 July 1987 Kinnock John Prescott 13 July 1987 23 November 1988 Tony Blair 23 November 1988 2 November 1989 Frank Dobson 2 November 1989 18 July 1992Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate ChangeName Took office Left office Political party Shadow Cabinet Greg Clark 6 October 2008 11 May 2010 Conservative Cameron Ed Miliband 11 May 2010 8 October 2010 Labour Harman Meg Hillier 8 October 2010 7 October 2011 Miliband Caroline Flint 7 October 2011 14 September 2015 MilibandHarman II Lisa Nandy 14 September 2015 27 June 2016 Corbyn Barry Gardiner 27 June 2016 8 October 2016 Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Clive Lewis6 October 20168 February 2017LabourCorbynRebecca Long-Bailey9 February 20176 April 2020Ed Miliband6 April 202029 November 2021StarmerShadow Secretary of State for Climate Change and Net ZeroName Took office Left office Political party Shadow Cabinet Ed Miliband 29 November 2021 4 September 2023Labour StarmerShadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net ZeroName Took office Left office Political party Shadow Cabinet Ed Miliband 4 September 2023 5 July 2024 Labour Starmer Claire Coutinho 8 July 2024 31 August 2026 ConservativeSunakBadenoch Andrew Bowie 31 August 2026 incumbent Badenoch
See also Official Opposition frontbench
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