The Conservative leader reshuffled her top team after James Cleverly, the former shadow housing secretary, stood down from the party’s frontbench in order to announce his campaign to stand as mayor of London. The Conservative leader is carrying out a reshuffle of her shadow cabinet before the party’s conference in October.
Among the casualties of Badenoch’s reshuffle were Mel Stride, the former shadow chancellor, and Priti Patel, who previously served as shadow foreign secretary.
The recent reshuffle comes after the initial one eight months into Badenoch's leadership of the Conservatives - a period which has seen the party regularly poll third or fourth, behind Labour, Reform UK and sometimes the Liberal Democrats.
During the 2019 Conservative leadership contest, Johnson used Griffith’s £9.5 million townhouse as his campaign headquarters. Griffith, then one of the most senior executives at broadcaster Sky, was later appointed as Johnson’s chief business adviser, based at 10 Downing Street. He took on that role in July 2019 shortly before his election to parliament.
Griffith supported Badenoch’s candidacy in the 2024 Conservative Party leadership election.
Meanwhile, Chris Philp was retained as shadow home secretary. Harriet Cross, who was first elected to parliament in 2024, joined the shadow cabinet as shadow secretary of state for Scotland.
Katie Lam, a darling of the Conservative right and another of the party’s 2024 intake, was appointed as shadow housing secretary, replacing Cleverly. She will shadow Angela Rayner.
Stuart Andrew, the former shadow health secretary, and Nigel Huddleston, the former shadow culture secretary, have returned to the backbenches.
Kemi Badenoch is said to be grateful to Andrew, Huddleston, Cleverly, Patel and Stride for having helped “steady the ship and rebuild credibility after the devastating 2024 election.”
Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper said it was “clear Conservatives haven’t learned a thing” and that Mr Griffith’s appointment “shows they’re happy to forfeit any claim to economic credibility in their race to the bottom” with Reform UK.
Treasury minister Emma Reynolds meanwhile said on social media: “The new shadow chancellor backed Liz Truss to be PM and he was a treasury minister during the Tories’ disastrous 2022 mini budget which left families paying the price. Same old Tories, same old economic policies.”
Read the full list of confirmed appointments below.
Kemi Badenoch – leader of the Conservative Party
Alex Burghart – shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland
Andrew Griffith – shadow chancellor of the exchequer
Claire Coutinho – shadow secretary of state for business, innovation, science and trade (Julia Lopez covering during maternity leave)
Richard Fuller – shadow chief secretary to the Treasury
Tom Tugendhat – shadow secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs
Chris Philp – shadow secretary of state for the Home Department
James Cartlidge – shadow secretary of state for defence
Neil O’Brien – shadow minister for policy renewal
Kevin Hollinrake – chairman of the Conservative Party
Helen Whately – shadow secretary of state for work and pensions
Andrew Bowie – shadow secretary of state for energy security
Laura Trott – shadow secretary of state for education
Nick Timothy – shadow secretary of state for justice
Damian Hinds – shadow secretary of state for health and social care
Victoria Atkins – shadow secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs
Richard Holden – shadow secretary of state for transport
Katie Lam – shadow secretary of state for housing, communities and local government
Rebecca Paul – shadow secretary of state for culture, media and sport
Harriet Cross – shadow secretary of state for Scotland
Mims Davies – shadow secretary of state for Wales
Joy Morrissey – shadow secretary of state for women and equalities
Jesse Norman – shadow leader of the House of Commons
Lord True – shadow leader of the House of Lords
Rebecca Harris – opposition chief whip
John Glen – parliamentary private secretary to the leader
Among the casualties of Badenoch’s reshuffle were Mel Stride, the former shadow chancellor, and Priti Patel, who previously served as shadow foreign secretary.
Both Stride and Patel stood as candidates in the 2024 Conservative leadership contest.
Patel was replaced as shadow foreign secretary by Tom Tugendhat, who also stood as a Tory leadership candidate in 2024. Tugendhat served as chair of the House of Commons foreign affairs select committee from 2017 to 2022.
Stride was succeeded by Andrew Griffith as shadow chancellor. Griffith, who served as shadow business and trade secretary from 2024 to 2026, was also financial secretary to the Treasury from September to October 2022 during Liz Truss’ brief tenure as prime minister.
Patel was replaced as shadow foreign secretary by Tom Tugendhat, who also stood as a Tory leadership candidate in 2024. Tugendhat served as chair of the House of Commons foreign affairs select committee from 2017 to 2022.
Stride was succeeded by Andrew Griffith as shadow chancellor. Griffith, who served as shadow business and trade secretary from 2024 to 2026, was also financial secretary to the Treasury from September to October 2022 during Liz Truss’ brief tenure as prime minister.
He went on to hold a series of ministerial positions under Rishi Sunak. Previously a close ally of Boris Johnson, he served as the former prime minister’s parliamentary private secretary (PPS) from September 2021 to February 2022.
During the 2019 Conservative leadership contest, Johnson used Griffith’s £9.5 million townhouse as his campaign headquarters. Griffith, then one of the most senior executives at broadcaster Sky, was later appointed as Johnson’s chief business adviser, based at 10 Downing Street. He took on that role in July 2019 shortly before his election to parliament.
Griffith supported Badenoch’s candidacy in the 2024 Conservative Party leadership election.
Meanwhile, Chris Philp was retained as shadow home secretary. Harriet Cross, who was first elected to parliament in 2024, joined the shadow cabinet as shadow secretary of state for Scotland.
Katie Lam, a darling of the Conservative right and another of the party’s 2024 intake, was appointed as shadow housing secretary, replacing Cleverly. She will shadow Angela Rayner.
Stuart Andrew, the former shadow health secretary, and Nigel Huddleston, the former shadow culture secretary, have returned to the backbenches.
Kemi Badenoch is said to be grateful to Andrew, Huddleston, Cleverly, Patel and Stride for having helped “steady the ship and rebuild credibility after the devastating 2024 election.”
Treasury minister Emma Reynolds meanwhile said on social media: “The new shadow chancellor backed Liz Truss to be PM and he was a treasury minister during the Tories’ disastrous 2022 mini budget which left families paying the price. Same old Tories, same old economic policies.”
Read the full list of confirmed appointments below.
Kemi Badenoch – leader of the Conservative Party
Alex Burghart – shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland
Andrew Griffith – shadow chancellor of the exchequer
Claire Coutinho – shadow secretary of state for business, innovation, science and trade (Julia Lopez covering during maternity leave)
Richard Fuller – shadow chief secretary to the Treasury
Tom Tugendhat – shadow secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs
Chris Philp – shadow secretary of state for the Home Department
James Cartlidge – shadow secretary of state for defence
Neil O’Brien – shadow minister for policy renewal
Kevin Hollinrake – chairman of the Conservative Party
Helen Whately – shadow secretary of state for work and pensions
Andrew Bowie – shadow secretary of state for energy security
Laura Trott – shadow secretary of state for education
Nick Timothy – shadow secretary of state for justice
Damian Hinds – shadow secretary of state for health and social care
Victoria Atkins – shadow secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs
Richard Holden – shadow secretary of state for transport
Katie Lam – shadow secretary of state for housing, communities and local government
Rebecca Paul – shadow secretary of state for culture, media and sport
Harriet Cross – shadow secretary of state for Scotland
Mims Davies – shadow secretary of state for Wales
Joy Morrissey – shadow secretary of state for women and equalities
Jesse Norman – shadow leader of the House of Commons
Lord True – shadow leader of the House of Lords
Rebecca Harris – opposition chief whip
John Glen – parliamentary private secretary to the leader
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