We knew that there would be a reshuffle of Lib Dem MPs after Conference, but maybe not this quickly.
This afternoon, Ed Davey announced his new top team. Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper takes over as Treasury Spokesperson and will face Rachel Reeves.
Helen Morgan takes health and social care from Daisy and, given the precedence we are giving to this issue, she has a whole team – Danny Chambers on mental health, Alison Bennett on carers, Jess Brown-Fuller on hospitals and primary care.
There are big jobs for new MPs too. Lisa Smart takes Home Affairs and Calum Miller, a former senior civil servant in the Foreign Office, getting Foreign Affairs. We also have a Europe spokesperson again, James MacClearly. Does this mean we will be getting more vocal on the problems with Brexit?
Wendy Chamberlain now has a deputy Chief Whip in Tom Morrison and no longer has any other portfolios. Steve Darling will now cover DWP and Christine Jardine Scotland.
There are no jobs for Layla Moran, Alistair Carmichael and Jamie Stone as they are all going to be chairing Select Committees.
One person I would have thought would have had a job would be Richard Foord. His old defence portfolio goes to Helen Maguire. However, perhaps he will end up on the Defence Select Committee.
Christine Jardine loses the Cabinet Office but gains Scotland in addition to her current Women and Equalities portfolio.
Of the 33 front bench positions, 25 go to new MPs. Of our 15 MPs in the previous Parliament, 3 stay as spokespeople, 3 chair select committees and Richard Foord, Sarah Green, Sarah Dyke and Wera Hobhouse go to the back benches, but there are still Select Committee places to fill so they may be being lined up for them.
Of his new team, Ed said:
My new frontbench will champion the people’s priorities, ensuring we hold the new government to account as a responsible opposition.
I am humbled by the result of the General Election and the millions of voters who put their trust in the Liberal Democrats, including many for the first time. We will stand up for our communities every day on the issues that matter most, fixing health and care services, tackling the cost of living crisis and protecting our precious environment.
I am so proud of my entire team of 72 Liberal Democrat MPs who will serve as strong local champions in Westminster as we clean up the mess left by the Conservative government.
Here is the top team in full:
Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey MP
Deputy Leader and Treasury Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP
Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain MP
Health and Social Care Spokesperson Helen Morgan MP
Education, Children and Families Spokesperson Munira Wilson MP
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Spokesperson Tim Farron MP
Cabinet Office Spokesperson Sarah Olney MP
Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Calum Miller MP
Home Affairs Spokesperson Lisa Smart MP
Women and Equalities and Scotland Spokesperson Christine Jardine MP
Justice Spokesperson Josh Babarinde MP
Business Spokesperson Sarah Gibson MP
Energy Security and Net Zero Spokesperson Pippa Heylings MP
Housing, Communities and Local Government Spokesperson Vikki Slade MP
Transport Spokesperson Paul Kohler MP
Science, Innovation and Technology Spokesperson Victoria Collins MP
Culture, Media and Sport Spokesperson Max Wilkinson MP
Defence Spokesperson Helen Maguire MP
Work and Pensions Spokesperson Steve Darling MP
Wales Spokesperson David Chadwick MP
Northern Ireland Spokesperson Al Pinkerton MP
London Spokesperson Luke Taylor MP
Hospitals and Primary Care Spokesperson Jess Brown-Fuller MP
Care and Carers Spokesperson Alison Bennett MP
Mental Health Spokesperson Danny Chambers MP
Universities and Skills Spokesperson Ian Sollom MP
Trade Spokesperson Clive Jones MP
International Development Spokesperson Monica Harding MP
Europe Spokesperson James MacCleary MP
Housing and Planning Spokesperson Gideon Amos MP
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Marie Goldman MP
Shadow Attorney General Ben Maguire MP
Deputy Chief Whip Tom Morrison MP
8 Comments
Great to see new MPs getting portfolios. I will contacting Max Wilkinson the Culture and Media spokesperson to get more cricket and other major sports events back on free to air. I hope others will join me.
Can we please go back to refering to them as our shadow cabinet? With shadow secretaries of state and shadow ministers.
Now we have even more MPs than in the 2000s we can finally present ourselves as an alternative government like we used to back then.
Indeed we our front bench was actually bigger back then as we don’t seem to have as many people shadowing junior ministers as before. Once our MPs have more experience we should definitely be increasing the numbers to match what we had before or even mirror the size of the conservative front bench has.
You could just call them “Spokes”
I was curious too about people like Richard Foord and Wera Hobhouse losing their briefs but, as you say, they may be destined for other roles.
Delighted Pippa Heyling is Energy and Net Zero. I first heard her speak at the Green Lib Dem Conf 2 years ago. I thought we need her in the House of Commons speaking and campaigning on these issues. I offered to help her election campaign, and started a month or so afterwards, on the phone. Right up to 9.30 on July 4th. Thrilled to see her win, then again this appointment. A massive and crucial role, and sure she is the best person for it.
Do I assume that all asylum and immigration detention comes under Lisa Smart?
Who will have electoral reform in their brief?
Lots of health spokes, will anyone in particular have disability issues or will it just be spread amongst various health type spokes?
Between them and the three select committee chairs a seriously impressive team !
I’m impressed with many of our new MPs and look forward to seeing how they develop in their roles, whether as spokespeople or backbench MPs. I’d love to have been a fly on Ed Davey’s wall as the team was being developed.
I haven’t checked every one, but I suspect that some of the backbenchers weren’t chosen because they have marginal seats which they have to cultivate even further. It is surprising that 4 MPs, including my own MP, Sarah Green, aren’t continuing with a spokesperson role. I wait to see if they end up with other roles. I suspect that Wendy Chamberlain is continuing as Chief Whip because she’s very good at it, but it’s a pity that the role to some extent prevents her from having a media role because she’s very good on TV.
Just for the record, the backbenchers are:
Steff Aquarone
Alex Brewer
Charlotte Cane
Alistair Carmichael*
Chris Coghlan
Adam Dance
Bobby Dean
Lee Dillon
Sarah Dyke
Richard Foord
Will Forster
Zoe Franklin
Andrew George
Rachel Gilmour
Oliver Glover
Tom Gordon
Sarah Green
Wera Hobhouse
Liz Jarvis
Angus Macdonald
Brian Mathew
Charlie Maynard
Freddie Van Mierlo
John Milne
Layla Moran*
Edward Morello
Tessa Munt
Susan Murray
Manuela Perteghella
Joshua Reynolds
Ian Roome
Anna Sabine
Liz Savage
Jamie Stone*
Cameron Thomas
Caroline Voaden
Martin Wrigley
Claire Young
* Select Committee Chairs