Four in 10 Tory MPs now on front bench as Sunak makes more appointments

Rishi Sunak announced more interim appointments to the Conservative front bench on Friday.

Rishi Sunak has appointed more shadow ministers, including Paul Holmes (right) who now has three shadow frontbench jobs (PA) (PA Wire)

Four in 10 Conservative MPs are now on the party’s front bench after Rishi Sunak made further appointments to his interim opposition team.

The former prime minister announced a flurry of junior appointments on Friday following the unveiling of his temporary shadow cabinet last week.

Friday’s announcement means there are now 51 MPs on the Conservative front bench, amounting to 42% of the total parliamentary party and underlining how far Tory numbers have dwindled.

Around 10 of those appointed on Friday are also doing more than one job.

Andrew Bowie, the shadow veterans minister, is now also a shadow energy security and net zero minister.

Hampshire MP Paul Holmes has been given three jobs, shadowing the Foreign Office and the Northern Ireland Office while also acting as a Tory whip.

Other appointments made on Friday include Alicia Kearns, the former Commons Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman, who has been made a shadow Foreign Office minister, and Danny Kruger, co-chair of the New Conservatives group, who has been made a shadow defence minister.

In the Lords, Earl Howe has been made shadow deputy leader of the house, continuing a 33-year unbroken run on the Conservative front bench that started when he was made a whip under John Major in 1991.

Friday’s appointments are likely to be temporary, with Mr Sunak’s replacement making their own choices once they have been elected.

The Conservative Party said it now “stands fully ready to provide the opposition the public deserves to this new Labour Government, especially following the King’s Speech and the announcement of this Government’s new legislative agenda”.