Clegg’s new Shadow Cabinet

Leader
Nick Clegg

Deputy Leader
Vince Cable (unchanged)

Chief Whip
Paul Burstow (unchanged)

The economy and business
VINCE CABLE (unchanged)
Shadow Chancellor

Jeremy Browne (was Julia Goldsworthy)
Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Sarah Teather (was Lembit Opik)
Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform

Home Affairs
CHRIS HUHNE (was Nick Clegg)
Shadow Secretary of State for the Home Department

David Heath (unchanged)
Shadow Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor

The Rt Hon the Lord Thomas (unchanged)
Shadow Attorney General

David Howarth (unchanged)
Shadow Solicitor General

International affairs
ED DAVEY (was Michael Moore)
Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Chair of Campaigns and Communications

Nick Harvey (unchanged)
Shadow Secretary of State for Defence

Mike Moore (was Lynne Featherstone)
Shadow Secretary of State for International Development

Public services
DAVID LAWS (unchanged)
Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families

Norman Lamb (unchanged)
Shadow Secretary of State for Health

Julia Goldsworthy (was Andrew Stunell)
Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

Lembit Opik (was Paul Holmes)
Housing

Danny Alexander (unchanged)
Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Chair of manifesto group

Stephen Williams (was Sarah Teather)
Shadow Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills

Environment
STEVE WEBB (was Chris Huhne)
Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Energy, Food and Rural Affairs

Norman Baker (was Susan Kramer)
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport

Tim Farron (new post)
Countryside

Families
SUSAN KRAMER (was Norman Baker)
Families spokesperson, Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office; and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

Other Shadow Cabinet members
Simon Hughes (unchanged)
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons and Party President

Don Foster (unchanged)
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport; and Olympics

Alistair Carmichael (unchanged)
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland and Northern Ireland

Lynne Featherstone (new Shadow Cabinet post)
Youth and equality spokesperson

The Rt Hon Tom McNally (unchanged)
Leader in the Lords

Roger Williams (unchanged)
Shadow Secretary of State for Wales

The Rt Hon the Lord Shutt (unchanged)
Lords Chief Whip

Willie Rennie (new post)
Chair of Parliamentary campaigns team

Also attending the Shadow Cabinet
Danny Alexander (was Ed Davey)
Leader’s Chief of Staff

Mark Hunter (was Tim Farron)
Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Leader

Lorely Burt (unchanged)
Chair of the Parliamentary Party

Other apppointments announced today:
Menzies Campbell will join the Foreign Affairs Select Committee and will be conducting a full review of Britain’s future military capability.
Charles Kennedy, as President of the European Movement will be campaigning across the country on European issues, and will contribute to major European debates from the front bench.

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56 Comments

  • James Graham 20th Dec '07 - 1:51pm

    Good use of ex-leaders.

  • The changes seem to be more for the sake of it than to achieve much. For example we lose Susan Krammer a Transport expert for transport to shadow the cabinet office which Norman seemed to be doing fine at.

    Why lose Paul Holmes from housing in favour of Lembitt who is hardly known for his interest in that issue? etc. etc.

  • James Graham 20th Dec '07 - 1:54pm

    I see Don is still stuck as culture. He needs to move on. I’m tired of the fact that in this area, we only ever seem to bang on about the number of repeats on the telly.

  • Glad I voted Clegg now, good to see Baker promoted.

    Am I alone in also being glad of Laws “taking on a wider public service brief”?

    Shame about Stunnell though, he always seemed very intelligent to me.

  • Geoffrey Payne 20th Dec '07 - 1:57pm

    It is probably a good reshuffle, but I wonder if the headlines will be that there is no place for Charles or Ming, and no progress for the women?
    The one exception is Sarah Teather who does appear to be making progress and probably has the brightest future.
    To be fair, many women were elected for the first time at the last general election and have marginal seats to hold onto, and will be concentrating on that.
    I was disappointed to see Paul Holmes booted out, and no way back in for Evan Harris.
    I also worry about David Laws but accept that he has done a very good job from his current brief. Likewise I am also concerned about Jeremy Browne working his way up.
    From a Left-of-Centre Lib Dem perspective, this is a shadow cabinet that I feared.

  • Martin Land 20th Dec '07 - 1:59pm

    A pretty good use of the talents available. Good to see Sarah replacing Lembit on Business. Also putting Steve Webb on Environment; he has the intellect to quickly master a difficult brief and really stick it to the Tories. And contrary to .5. putting our ‘Rottweiler’ Norman Baker on Transport is a VERY GOOD move!

  • I hope Julia is as supportive of local government as Andrew was (although good to see Julia on the frontbench). A shame to see him go, as also with Paul for housing. Other than that a good line up.

  • James Graham 20th Dec '07 - 2:01pm

    Julia, lest we forget, is the champion of the Sustainable Communities Act. Personally I’m delighted to see that she will be our local government spokesperson during the period in which this Act will be implemented.

  • Steve Comer 20th Dec '07 - 2:06pm

    First the good news….
    Chris Huhne at Home Affairs is a good move, it’s been a bit of a poison chalice for Lib Dems, but then Environment was considered to be so at one time. I’m hoping that Chris will bring some radical thinking to this role, especially in the field of drug policy, and drug related crime. The other two parties offer nothing but policies that have failed over 30-40 years. We have the chance to be bold and promote more radical solutions which will work, but which may challenge conventional wisdom. We need to look at the harm reduction measures that have been successful in other EU countries, and be honest and open with the public about these issues. Chris is the one with the energy and commitment to do that.

    Now the bad news….
    In cities like Bristol, as in much of England, and Wales, Affordable Housing is one of THE key issues. In Paul Holmes we had a Shadow Cabinet member who really understood the subject, and had a passion for his portfolio. This was clear to anyone who met Paul at the recent Seminar on housing organised by the Lib Dem LGA Group. I felt the party was going to make real headway on this issue with Paul holding the portfolio, and attacking inaction by both Labour and Tory. So why has he been sacked?
    Worse still why has been replaced by someone whose main talents appears to be to play the harmonica at the conference Glee Club, and get tabloid coverage about his love like?

    I really hoped whoever won the Party Leadership would want to bring all the talent we have on board together and unite the team. I believe that’s what party members wanted, but the world must look different from the Westminster Village.

  • Whoever put out this list out to be aware that of the three Peers mentioned, only Lord McNally is a proper Rt Hon. The other two (Shutt and Thomas) by virtue of the Peerage can use the title too – yet are not members of the Privy Council and anyone who does use that title and are not a PC is a bit up the someselves (knowing both Shutt and Thomas I know that is not a characteristic either can be accussed of!)

  • Geoffrey Payne Says: … “From a Left-of-Centre Lib Dem perspective, this is a shadow cabinet that I feared.”

    …and the one that as a “right-of-centre” Lib Dem* I was hoping for.

    *by Lib Dem standards, natch

  • Ross Chmiel 20th Dec '07 - 2:19pm

    (with the exception of Lembit being put in charge of the vitally important Housing brief) this is an excellent Shadow Cabinet.
    I am particulary pleased that Chris “sharp elbows” Huhne has a significant job and the use of the ex-leaders. Good stuff!

  • Rob Blackie 20th Dec '07 - 2:20pm

    Great to see the promotion of Julia – her previous post is a very important one but not one that naturally gets you a great deal of press coverage (since you’re effectively deputy Vince).

    I think that people who are worried by David should read what he’s actually written rather than what other people have written about him. I by no means agree with him on everything but his knowledge and ability are superb – so he’ll be great at bringing fresh thinking to things.

  • Tim Farron on farming is a bit worrying, and I am not convinced about Teather at BERR (I would have given that to someone with a better feel for business). the public services team looks very good indeed.

    Do the capitals imply that there is a coordinating committee within the shadow cabinet (Nick, Vince, Chris, Susan, Ed, Steve, David)?

  • Tim Farron a worry? He’s the most effective speaker in the parliamentary party – rendered slightly quiet due to his time as Ming’s PPS. He’s also done loads on farming, he’s the Chair of the Parliamentary Hill Farming Committee I think.

  • Tin Farron is MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale… i’m sure that he knows plenty about farming!

  • Rob Blackie 20th Dec '07 - 2:50pm

    Incidentally Tim Farron’s also a formidable election winner – he took his seat from the Tories in 2005 (tricky enough) and has subsequently built up the local government base there so we run the council.

    Interestingly the other MPs who took seats in 2005 (Lorely & Jeremy) have both also made a lot of progress locally since then – so it’s a good omen that they’re all in good relatively senior positions now.

  • I suspect Paul Holmes got the push for backing Huhne. He remains the chair of the party, of course.

    I’m not convinced that everyone in this list is in the Shadow Cabinet, otherwise that would be a committee of 34, which is unworkable. We will know for sure when they finally update the website who has been effectively demoted.

  • James Graham 20th Dec '07 - 3:17pm

    In terms of David Laws, like it or not but his hands have been tied to an extent by Clegg’s position on public services throughout the campaign and victory by a small margin. Any changes Laws seeks to make will be made in that light and with people (including no doubt Mr Fenwick) watching him like a hawk. I don’t therefore see it as cause for alarm. But then, one of the things I discovered during this leadership election is that on public services I’m very much on the rightwing – if by rightwing you mean you oppose a dogmatic state-knows-best approach to public services.

  • Has the manifesto been moved from Steve Webb to Danny Alexander? Does anyone else think it’s a bit strange to have a Scottish MP writing this when more than half the stuff in there won’t be relevant to Scotland?

  • Grammar Police 20th Dec '07 - 3:48pm

    No more strange than having a Scottish MP as a minister or Prime Minister in a UK Government. Which I don’t think is that strange.

  • How many people would have put money on Lembit surviving?

  • Eldoc 27. Lorely Burt is now chair of the parliamentary, so Paul Holmes has been completely sidelined.

  • Charles Anglin 20th Dec '07 - 6:34pm

    This is a very well balanced selection.

    Clearly Chris Huhne will be very well placed with the Home Affairs brief to score some good hits of ID cards, Home Office incompetence and detention wihout trial.

    David Law’s expanded role on public services shows that Clegg is serious about new thinking in this area, something that will releieve Orange Bookers like my self.

    Julia Goldsworthy’s promotion is well deserved, extremely bright & personable she will be a good foil to Hazel Blears & Eric Pickles.

    Steve Webb is an excellent choice at Environment, it will allow him to land blows on the Govt, without being an obstacles to new thinking on public services.

    My favourite appointments though are the superb Jeremy Browne as shadow Chief Secretary, and Tim Farron as Countryside Spokesman. I’ve known then both since we were all student politicos together in NUS and have always thought them the cream of the crop of my generation. I’m delighted their talents are being recognised.

    All that said though the shadow cabinet as a whole is still far too large, 30 or so members out of 64 MPs is just too many. There is no reason why the Shadow Attorny General for instance needs to be at the top table.

    None the less this is a good team and I look forward to seeing them getting to work in the New Year.

  • Had no one noticed that David Laws had been doing the Childrens, shools etc. job for a while it appears so from some of the comments above.

  • Ruth Bright 20th Dec '07 - 8:53pm

    Steve Webb ‘an obstacle to new thinking on public services’.

    How patronising! You mean I suppose that he doesn’t display sufficient enthusiasm for ‘new thinking’ like slashing benefits to lone parents.

  • Is there anyone in the Lib Dem parliamentary party that isn’t in the so called shadow cabinet?

  • Charles Anglin 20th Dec '07 - 10:00pm

    Ruth,

    I’m not sure where that comes from – I think Steve is an exceptional mind, but he does oppose the changes on public services that Clegg has made clear that he wants to see. There are very few people in the party who would advocate slashing lone parent benefits – I think that’s a red herring.

  • I truly wish it was a red herring, Charles.

    Peter Hain confirmed on December 13th that by 2010 benefits will be withdrawn for lone parents unwilling to make themselves available for work because they have a child/children as young as seven. I would be delighted to be proved wrong but the media coverage (including an interview he did for BBC News 24)indicates that David Laws supports these moves.

    Other Orange Bookers are on record supporting the tough love/Wisconsin welfare programme.

    In my attitudes towards the NHS and education I would place myself on the right of the party. But this welfare stuff really worries me.

  • With Andrew Stunnell and Paul Holmes gone that on my reckoning leaves only one member from a northern urban seat – a certain Nick Clegg.

  • From an external perspective (that of the floating voter) the party will be lucky to get its leader noticed, let alone anybody else (I think that’s true of the Tories as well). From an internal party perspective it is interesting that the most ‘sensitive’ posts – those related to publuc service reform – are in the hands of those on the economically liberal (as well as socially liberal) wing of the party. Home Affairs is high profile but largely uncontentious within the party.

    It would be interesting to speculate on what Huhne’s team would have been like had he won.

  • Pleased largely with Nick’s first shadow cabinet. Particularly pleased with promotions for Jeremy Browne, David Laws, Ed Davey, Stephen Williams, my old friend Tim Farron, Julia Goldsworthy and Steve Webb. Some real talent in there and plenty more waiting in the wings for future roles – Jo Swinson has to get something long term. She’s very personable and telegenic! Good to see Ming and Charles with roles too but i’d really like to see Nick giving something to Paddy in the run up to the GE. Paddy is our most respected politician (for many the best PM we never had) and given his closeness to Nick, i think he’d really be able to sell Nick’s potential to the electorate.

  • Andy @ 30, yes the manifesto chair has been taken from Steve Webb. Not a surprise really given that Webb is not on the same wing of the party as Clegg.

    There are interesting times ahead for us. I really hope this Shadow Cabinet works. Largely because if it doesn’t, then who the hell is left!

  • Yes – good to see Sarah replace Lembit – she has the credibility to deal with a sector which will tend to judge us harshly.

    Don’t underestimate Don: he manages to get some quite good coverage for an essentially unpromising brief.

    I feel it’s a good lineup and shows we have moved on

  • Angus J Huck 24th Dec '07 - 8:48pm

    No 22:

    “Tim Farron is MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale… i’m sure that he knows plenty about farming!”

    Indeed. Hucks have been farming Shap Fells since the time of Henry VII and probably a good deal longer.

  • Angus J Huck 24th Dec '07 - 9:04pm

    David Buckle at No 53 asks:

    “What has happened to Dr. Evan Harris MP?”

    He was last spotted on Newsnight defending Dr David Southall and Professor Sir Roy Meadow.

    If Dr Harris would occasionally argue FOR the public interest and not against it, he could yet prove to be a formidable advocate.

  • It’s a disgrace that Andrew Stunell has been removed from the Local Govt job.

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