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
GovernmentOpposition PartyLeader of the OppositionShadow ChancellorShadow Foreign SecretaryShadow Home SecretaryConservative(Eden)Labour(Gaitskell)Hugh GaitskellHarold WilsonAlfred RobensKenneth YoungerAneurin BevanConservative(Macmillan)Patrick Gordon WalkerDenis HealeyJames CallaghanHarold WilsonGeorge BrownConservative(Douglas-Home)Labour(Wilson I)Harold WilsonPatrick Gordon WalkerFrank SoskiceLabour(Wilson I–II)Conservative(Douglas-Home)Alec Douglas-HomeReginald MaudlingR. A. ButlerEdward BoyleEdward HeathReginald MaudlingPeter ThorneycroftConservative(Heath I)Edward HeathIain MacleodChristopher SoamesAlec Douglas-HomeQuintin HoggConservative(Heath)Labour(Wilson II)Harold WilsonRoy JenkinsDenis HealeyJames CallaghanShirley WilliamsDenis HealeyJames CallaghanRoy JenkinsLabour(Wilson III–IV)Conservative(Heath II)Edward HeathRobert CarrGeoffrey RipponKeith JosephConservative(Thatcher)Margaret ThatcherSir Geoffrey HoweReginald MaudlingIan GilmourLabour(Callaghan)John DaviesWilliam WhitelawFrancis PymConservative(Thatcher)Labour(Callaghan)James CallaghanDenis HealeyPeter ShoreMerlyn ReesLabour(Foot)Michael FootPeter ShoreDenis HealeyRoy HattersleyLabour(Kinnock)Neil KinnockRoy HattersleyGerald KaufmanJohn SmithGerald KaufmanRoy HattersleyConservative(Major)Labour(Smith)John SmithGordon BrownJack CunninghamTony BlairLabour(Beckett)Margaret Beckett‡Labour(Blair)Tony BlairRobin CookJack StrawLabour(Blair)Conservative(Major)John MajorKenneth ClarkeJohn MajorMichael HowardConservative(Hague)William HaguePeter LilleyMichael HowardBrian MawhinneyFrancis MaudeNorman FowlerJohn MaplesAnn WiddecombeMichael PortilloFrancis MaudeConservative(Duncan Smith)Iain Duncan SmithMichael HowardMichael AncramOliver LetwinConservative(Howard)Michael HowardOliver LetwinDavid DavisGeorge OsborneLiam FoxConservative(Cameron)David CameronWilliam HagueLabour(Brown)Dominic GrieveChris GraylingConservative–LiberalDemocrat(Cameron–Clegg)Labour(Harman I)Harriet Harman‡Alistair DarlingDavid MilibandAlan JohnsonLabour(Miliband)Ed MilibandAlan JohnsonYvette CooperEd BallsEd BallsDouglas AlexanderYvette CooperConservative(Cameron II)Labour(Harman II)Harriet Harman‡Chris LeslieHilary BennLabour(Corbyn)Jeremy CorbynJohn McDonnellAndy BurnhamConservative(May)Emily ThornberryDiane AbbottConservative(Johnson)Labour(Starmer)Sir Keir StarmerAnneliese DoddsLisa NandyNick Thomas-SymondsRachel ReevesDavid LammyYvette CooperConservative(Truss)Conservative(Sunak)Labour(Starmer)Conservative(Sunak)Rishi SunakJeremy HuntAndrew MitchellJames CleverlyConservative(Badenoch)Kemi BadenochMel StrideDame Priti Patel Chris PhilpLabour(Burnham)Andrew GriffithTom Tugendhat
†Died in office ‡Served as interim leader
See also His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (United Kingdom) Official Opposition frontbench List of British shadow cabinets