Skip to content
Surf Wiki
Save to docs
geography/united-kingdom

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

British Shadow Cabinet office


British Shadow Cabinet office

FieldValue
postShadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
imageOfficial portrait of Stuart Andrew MP.jpg
incumbentStuart Andrew
incumbentsince22 July 2025
appointerLeader of the Opposition
websiteThe Shadow Cabinet

The shadow secretary of state for health and social care is an office within British politics held by a member of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition. The duty of the office holder is to scrutinise the actions of the government's secretary of state for health and social care and develop alternative policies. The office holder is a member of the Shadow Cabinet and appointed by the leader of the opposition.

It is currently held by Stuart Andrew.

List of shadow secretaries

NameEntered officeLeft officePolitical partyShadow CabinetNotesRefLabour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"NameEntered officeLeft officePolitical partyShadow CabinetNotesRefConservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"NameEntered officeLeft officePolitical partyShadow CabinetNotesRefConservative 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)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"NameEntered officeLeft officePolitical partyShadow CabinetNotesRefLabour 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)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"NameEntered officeLeft officePolitical partyShadow CabinetNotesRefLabour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"
Edith Summerskill[[File:Baroness Summerskill.jpg60px]]15 July 1955November 1961LabourGaitskell
Kenneth Robinson[[File:No image.svg60px]]November 196116 October 1964LabourMinister of Health (1964–1968)
Wilson
Bernard Braine[[File:Bernard Braine.jpg60px]]16 October 196429 October 1964ConservativeDouglas-HomeParliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health (1962–1964)
Keith Joseph[[File:No image.svg60px]]29 October 196419 April 1966Secretary of State for Health and Social Services (1970–1974)
Heath
Mervyn Pike[[File:No image.svg60px]]19 April 196610 October 1967
Robert Lindsay[[File:No image.svg60px]]10 October 19671 November 1968
Robert Lindsay[[File:No image.svg60px]]1 November 196819 June 1970ConservativeHeath
Richard Crossman[[File:Richard Crossland MP (3x4 crop).jpg60px]]19 June 197023 July 1970LabourWilson IISecretary of State for Health and Social Services (1968–1970)
Shirley Williams[[File:Shirley Williams, 1984.jpg60px]]23 July 197019 October 1971Later SDP Founder and Liberal Democrats Leader in House of Lords
Barbara Castle[[File:1657543218962 NP0238 Barbara CASTLE 001 MOBILE.jpg60px]]19 October 19716 December 1972Secretary of State for Health and Social Services (1974–1976)
John Silkin[[File:John Silkin.png60px]]6 December 19724 March 1974
Keith Joseph[[File:Sir Keith Joseph visits Llangefni and Caernarfon (1469270) Crop.jpg60px]]4 March 197411 March 1974ConservativeHeath IISecretary of State for Health and Social Services (1970–1974)
Geoffrey Howe[[File:Geoffrey Howe (1985).jpg60px]]11 March 197418 February 1975
Norman Fowler[[File:Official portrait of Lord Fowler crop 2.jpg60px]]18 February 197519 November 1976Thatcher
Patrick Jenkin[[File:No image.svg60px]]19 November 19764 May 1979
David Ennals[[File:David Ennals.jpg60px]]4 May 197914 June 1979LabourCallaghanSecretary of State for Health and Social Services (1976–1979)
Stanley Orme[[File:Stanley Orme.jpg60px]]14 June 19798 December 1980
Gwyneth Dunwoody[[File:Dunwoody (cropped).jpg60px]]8 December 198031 October 1983Foot
Michael Meacher[[File:Michael Meacher official portrait.jpg60px]]31 October 198313 July 1987Kinnock
Robin Cook[[File:Robin Cook official portrait.jpg60px]]13 July 198725 July 1988
Robin Cook[[File:Robin Cook official portrait.jpg60px]]25 July 198818 July 1992LabourKinnock
David Blunkett[[File:David Blunkett DfEE.jpg60px]]18 July 199220 October 1994Smith
Beckett
Margaret Beckett[[File:Official portrait of Margaret Beckett as Environment Secretary (cropped).jpg60px]]20 October 199419 October 1995Blair
Harriet Harman[[File:Harriet Harman (3x4 crop).jpg60px]]19 October 19951 July 1996
Chris Smith[[File:Chris Smith 1997 (cropped).png80x80px]]1 July 19962 May 1997
Stephen Dorrell[[File:Stephen Dorrell 2011 (cropped).jpg60px]]2 May 199711 June 1997ConservativeMajorSecretary of State for Health (1995–1997)
John Maples[[File:No image.svg60px]]11 June 19971 June 1998Hague
Ann Widdecombe[[File:Ann Widdecombe as a Minister of State.jpg60px]]1 June 199813 January 1999
Liam Fox[[File:Liam Fox MP, 2007 cropped.jpg60px]]13 January 19996 November 2003
Duncan Smith
Tim Yeo[[File:Tim Yeo MP (15216846249).jpg60px]]6 November 200319 June 2004HowardShadow Secretary of State for Health and Education
Andrew Lansley[[File:Andrew Lansley, October 2009 2 cropped and rotated.jpg60px]]19 June 200412 May 2010Secretary of State for Health (2010–2012)
Cameron
Andy Burnham[[File:Andy Burnham (cropped).jpg60px]]12 May 20108 October 2010LabourHarmanSecretary of State for Health (2009–2010)
John Healey[[File:John Healey (cropped).jpg79x79px]]8 October 20106 October 2011Miliband
Andy Burnham[[File:Andy Burnham MP NHS Confederation conference 2014 (cropped).jpg74x74px]]7 October 201113 September 2015Secretary of State for Health (2009–2010)
Harman II
Heidi Alexander[[File:Official portrait of Heidi Alexander crop 2.jpg60px]]13 September 201526 June 2016Corbyn
Diane Abbott[[File:Official portrait of Ms Diane Abbott crop 2.jpg60px]]27 June 20166 October 2016
Jonathan Ashworth[[File:Official portrait of Jonathan Ashworth crop 2.jpg80x80px]]7 October 20168 January 2018
Jonathan Ashworth[[File:Official portrait of Jonathan Ashworth MP crop 2.jpg60px]]8 January 201829 November 2021LabourCorbyn
Starmer
Wes Streeting[[File:Wes Streeting Official Cabinet Portrait, July 2024 (cropped) 2.jpg79x79px]]29 November 20215 July 2024Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (2024-present)
Victoria Atkins[[File:Official portrait of Victoria Atkins MP crop 2, 2024.jpg60px]]8 July 20245 November 2024ConservativeSunakSecretary of State for Health and Social Care (2023-2024)
Ed Argar[[File:Edward Argar Official Cabinet Portrait, September 2022 (cropped).jpg60px]]5 November 202422 July 2025Badenoch
Stuart Andrew[[File:Official portrait of Stuart Andrew crop 2, 2021.jpg80x80px]]22 July 2025Incumbent

References

References

  1. (1973). "Front-bench opposition; the role of the Leader of the Opposition, the Shadow Cabinet and Shadow Government in British politics". London.
  2. (11 October 1967). "Younger Tories In Shadow Cabinet". The Glasgow Herald.
  3. (23 July 1970). "No Surprises in Wilson's Shadow Cabinet". The Glasgow Herald.
  4. (7 December 1972). "Wilson gives Shore key prices post". The Glasgow Herald.
  5. "Parliamentary career for Lord Orme".
  6. (6 August 2005). "Former minister Robin Cook dies". [[British Broadcasting Corporation]].
  7. Brown, Colin. (21 March 2005). "David Blunkett: 'I'd like to come back but I have to earn it. That means the graft of getting round the country'". [[Independent News & Media]].
  8. (7 December 2000). "Hunting a second term". [[British Broadcasting Corporation]].
  9. (1997). "Politics 97; Harriet Harman". [[British Broadcasting Corporation]].
  10. "John Maples; Biographical details". [[guardian.co.uk]].
  11. Maples, John. "John Maples: Political Biography". John Maples.
  12. (6 June 1998). "Opposition front bench team as at 5 June 1998". [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]].
  13. (19 June 1999). "Opposition front bench team". [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]].
  14. "Tim Yeo; Biographical details". [[guardian.co.uk]].
  15. (19 June 2004). "House of Commons Weekly Information Bulletin Noticeboard". [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]].
  16. (7 October 2008). "Her Majesty's Official Opposition". [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]].
  17. Turnbull, Alex. (27 June 2016). "Diane Abbott appointed shadow health secretary".
  18. (27 June 2016). "Jeremy Corbyn unveils new shadow cabinet after raft of resignations". The Guardian.
  19. Launder, Mimi. (2021-11-30). "Wes Streeting appointed as shadow health secretary in reshuffle".
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report