Who’s who in the Conservative shadow cabinet

Kemi Badenoch’s new front bench team will hold its first meeting on Tuesday.

Kemi Badenoch speaks after she was named the new Conservative leader (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Wire)

The first shadow cabinet meeting under new Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch takes place on Tuesday.

While many positions are yet to be announced, here is a look at the people who have been appointed to the new-look Tory front benches so far.

– Robert Jenrick, shadow justice secretary

The man beaten by Ms Badenoch in the final ballot of Conservative members is understood to have been offered the shadow justice role.

He served as immigration minister, health minister, housing secretary and Treasury secretary under successive prime ministers.

The MP for Newark since 2014, he resigned his immigration role under Mr Sunak, saying the Rwanda scheme did not go far enough.

During his leadership campaign, the former solicitor advocated leaving the European Convention on Human Rights and called for a strong stance on immigration.

However Nigel Huddleston, one of the two new Tory co-chairmen, told GB News on Tuesday morning reports of Mr Jenrick becoming shadow justice secretary “might be jumping the gun”.

– Dame Priti Patel, shadow foreign secretary

The second of the leadership candidates to be handed a shadow cabinet role, she returns to the Tory front benches after working as home secretary under long-time ally Boris Johnson, during which time she launched the Rwanda deportation scheme.

First elected in Witham in 2010, Dame Priti was forced to resign as international development Secretary in 2017 after failing to disclose meeting senior Israel politicians while on holiday.

– Mel Stride, shadow chancellor

The third former leadership rival named by Ms Badenoch to the shadow cabinet, Mr Stride has previously served as a Treasury minister and as chairman of the Treasury Select Committee.

MP for Central Devon since 2010 and seen as from the more moderate wing of the party, he was work and pensions secretary in Rishi Sunak’s government and was often seen on morning broadcast rounds.

– Laura Trott, shadow education secretary

The MP for Sevenoaks since 2019, she attended cabinet under Mr Sunak – who she backed in his leadership bid – as chief secretary to the Treasury, having previously served as a works and pensions minister.

A supporter of Ms Badenoch in the latest leadership election, she made her Commons debut in her new role on Monday in response to the Government’s announcement of a rise in university fees.

– Neil O’Brien, shadow education minister

The former health minister was also on Commons duty in his new role at education questions on Monday.

The MP for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston worked as an adviser for George Osborne and Theresa May before being elected in 2017.

– Dame Rebecca Harris, chief whip

Interim chief whip Stuart Andrew revealed he was being replaced by the Essex MP on Sunday.

Dame Rebecca, who has represented Castle Point since 2010, has been a whip since 2018.

– Nigel Huddleston, Conservative Party joint chairman

Ms Badenoch has told Tory staff her joint chairmen were chosen because of their broad experience within the party, it is understood.

A supporter of the new leader, despite being from a more moderate branch of the party, Mr Huddleston moves from the shadow Treasury team. He has been MP for Droitwich and Evesham, previously Mid Worcestershire, since 2015.

– Lord Dominic Johnson, Conservative Party joint chairman

The other joint chairman worked with the new party leader as a trade minister and was Tory vice-chairman under Theresa May. He was made a peer during Lis Truss’s spell in Number 10, serving as investment minister. He was retained by Mr Sunak.

A key donor to the party, Mr Johnson has held several ministerial roles and co-founded Somerset Capital Management with former Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg.