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Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer

Member of the British Shadow Cabinet


Member of the British Shadow Cabinet

FieldValue
postShadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
imageFile:Official portrait of Mel Stride MP, 2024.jpg
altPortrait of Mel Stride
incumbentMel Stride
incumbentsince4 November 2024
styleShadow Chancellor (informal)
member_ofOfficial Opposition Shadow Cabinet
appointerLeader of the Opposition
inauguralRab Butler
deputyShadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The shadow chancellor of the exchequer in the British Parliamentary system is the member of the Shadow Cabinet who is responsible for shadowing the chancellor of the exchequer. The title is given at the gift of the leader of the Opposition and has no formal constitutional role, but is generally considered the second-most senior position, unless a shadow deputy prime minister is chosen, on the opposition frontbench, after the leader. Past shadow chancellors include Harold Wilson, James Callaghan, Edward Heath, Geoffrey Howe, Kenneth Clarke, Gordon Brown, John McDonnell and Rachel Reeves.

The name for the position has a mixed history. It is used to designate the lead economic spokesman for the Opposition. The name 'Shadow Chancellor' has also been used for the corresponding position for the Liberal Democrats, the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson. This was a source of humour for Chancellor Gordon Brown, who in 2005 played the two off against one another in Parliament, saying, "I, too, have a great deal of time for the shadow chancellor who resides in Twickenham Liberal Democrat [Vince Cable], rather than the shadow chancellor for the Conservative Party."

List of shadow chancellors

NamePortraitEntered officeLeft officePartyShadow CabinetConservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 1px " height=30Labour Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 1px " height=30Conservative Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"
Oliver Stanley[[File:Oliver Stanley MP (cropped).jpg72px]]Unknown10 December 1950ConservativeChurchill
Rab Butler[[File:Rab Butler.jpg72px]]10 December 195026 October 1951
Hugh Gaitskell[[File:Hugh Todd Naylor Gaitskell.jpg72px]]26 October 195115 February 1956LabourAttlee
Gaitskell
Harold Wilson[[File:Harold Wilson.jpg72px]]15 February 195630 November 1961
James Callaghan[[File:James Callaghan (1975).jpg72px]]30 November 196116 October 1964
Wilson I
Reginald Maudling[[File:Reginald Maudling, 1969 (Brightned) (cropped).jpg72px]]16 October 196416 February 1965ConservativeDouglas-Home
Edward Heath[[File:Sir Edward Heath (cropped).jpg72px]]16 February 196528 July 1965
Iain Macleod[[File:The National Archives UK - CO 1069-166-17 Macleod crop.jpg72px]]28 July 196520 June 1970Heath
Roy Jenkins[[File:Roy Jenkins 1977 (cropped).jpg72px]]20 June 197019 April 1972LabourWilson II
Denis Healey[[File:Denis Healey.jpg72px]]19 April 19724 March 1974
Anthony Barber[[File:Anthony Barber, 1973 (cropped).tif96x96px]]4 March 197411 March 1974ConservativeHeath II
Robert Carr[[File:Robert Carr2.jpg72px]]11 March 197411 February 1975
Sir Geoffrey Howe[[File:Geoffrey Howe (1985).jpg72px]]11 February 19754 May 1979Thatcher
Denis Healey[[File:Denis Healey appearing on "After Dark", 3 June 1989 (cropped).jpg95x95px]]4 May 19798 December 1980LabourCallaghan
Peter Shore[[File:3x4.svg72px]]8 December 198031 October 1983Foot
Roy Hattersley[[File:Roy Hattersley 2012 cropped 2.jpg72px]]31 October 198313 July 1987Kinnock
John Smith[[File:John Smith in 1989.jpg96x96px]]13 July 198724 July 1992
Gordon Brown[[File:Chancellor Gordon Brown official portrait.jpg72px]]24 July 19922 May 1997Smith
Beckett
Blair
Ken Clarke[[File:Kenneth Clarke (cropped).gif96x96px]]2 May 199711 June 1997ConservativeMajor
Peter Lilley[[File:Peter Lilley (cropped).jpg102x102px]]11 June 19972 June 1998Hague
Francis Maude[[File:Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office.jpg72px]]2 June 19981 February 2000
Michael Portillo[[File:Michael Portillo by Regents College cropped.jpg72px]]1 February 2000nowrap18 September 2001
Michael Howard[[File:Flickr - europeanpeoplesparty - EPP Summit 16 June 2005 (1) (cropped).jpg96x96px]]nowrap18 September 20016 November 2003Duncan Smith
Oliver Letwin[[File:Oliver Letwin.jpg83x83px]]6 November 200310 May 2005Howard
George Osborne[[File:George Osborne 0437.jpg107x107px]]10 May 200511 May 2010
Cameron
Alistair Darling[[File:Alistair Darling official portrait (cropped).jpg96x96px]]11 May 20108 October 2010LabourHarman I
Alan Johnson[[File:THE Rt Hon. ALAN JOHNSON MP (cropped).jpg96x96px]]8 October 201020 January 2011Miliband
Ed Balls[[File:Cllr Jake Morrison & Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls MP (cropped).jpg96x96px]]20 January 201111 May 2015
Chris Leslie[[File:Official portrait of Mr Chris Leslie crop 2.jpg72px]]11 May 201512 September 2015Harman II
John McDonnell[[File:John McDonnell 2016.jpg99x99px]]13 September 20155 April 2020Corbyn
Anneliese Dodds[[File:Official portrait of Anneliese Dodds MP crop 2.jpg72px]]5 April 20209 May 2021Starmer
Rachel Reeves[[File:Rachel Reeves Official Cabinet Portrait, July 2024 (cropped 2) (cropped).jpg95x95px]]9 May 20215 July 2024
Jeremy Hunt[[File:Jeremy Hunt Official Cabinet Portrait, October 2022 (cropped).jpg72px]]8 July 20244 November 2024ConservativeSunak
Mel Stride[[File:Official portrait of Mel Stride MP crop 2, 2024.jpg72px]]4 November 2024IncumbentBadenoch

References

Book

  • Lewis Baston (2004) Reggie: The Life of Reginald Maudling. Sutton Publishing.

References

  1. Parker, George. (18 October 2014). "Alexander to replace Cable as LibDem shadow chancellor". [[Financial Times]].
  2. Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons, Westminster. (2005-12-05). "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 5 Dec 2005 (pt 8)". Publications.parliament.uk.
  3. (30 November 1961). "Wilson - Foreign Spokesman". Evening Times.
  4. (30 November 1961). "Wilson - Foreign Spokesman". Evening Times.
  5. Baston 2004, 246
  6. Baston 2004, 246
  7. (12 March 1974). "Barber Prepares to Quit". The Glasgow Herald.
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