Kemi Badenoch rewarded early supporters with shadow cabinet posts

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New Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has promoted former police minister Chris Philp to shadow home secretary as she rewards both allies and opponents with prominent backbench roles.

Badenoch has worked to promote colleagues from all factions of her party as she seeks to unite the parties. Tories following the worst defeat in the party’s history – including the appointment of eventual leadership candidate Robert Jenrick as shadow justice secretary.

However, her longtime friends and many of the rising stars who supported her from the start of the race were influential in her cabinet lineup, it was announced on Tuesday.

Former Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart was appointed shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and former innovation minister Andrew Griffith became shadow business secretary, while former energy secretary Claire Coutinho opposed the move. there.

Allies Helen Whately, the former social care secretary, was appointed shadow work and pensions secretary, while former finance minister Alan Mak became shadow science and technology secretary.

Philp was another key backer to be rewarded, along with Kevin Hollinrake, who became shadow housing secretary, Gareth Bacon, who became shadow transport secretary, and Jesse Norman, who was appointed as Commons shadow leader.

The full list of her senior leadership team was released on Tuesday morning ahead of her first opposition cabinet meeting.

Later that day, she appointed former armed forces minister Mark Francois, a veteran right-winger and Jenrick supporter, as shadow defense minister.

The appointment also means her key lieutenants will sit next to her on the front bench when she appears in the coordinating box on Wednesday to ask Sir Keir Starmer during prime minister’s questions in the House of Commons.

On Monday, former work and pensions secretary Mel Stride was announced as her shadow chancellor, and former home secretary Dame Priti Patel as her shadow foreign secretary.

Other initial appointments include Laura Trott, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, becoming Shadow Education Secretary, while former Chancellor of the Exchequer Nigel Huddleston and former Investment Secretary Lord Dominic Johnson are appointed as joint party chairman.

The final stages of the leadership race saw tensions erupt between Badenoch and Jenrick, after a race characterized by anonymous negative reports from various factions.

The former immigration minister accused Badenoch of launching a “rubbish” personal attack on him after she expressed doubts about his integrity.

Although she appointed him as shadow justice secretary, the move emerged on Monday before Badenoch’s team wanted it reported, signaling that antagonism between the pair could has not completely disappeared.

Badenoch’s decision to give him the justice portfolio has raised questions about her approach to the European Convention on Human Rights. A pledge to leave the ECHR – a motion opposed with horror by lawyers in parliament – ​​is central to Jenrick’s leadership campaign, while Badenoch has notably refused to make any pledge so.

Jenrick will now influence the party’s policy towards the convention while chairing the justice brief.

Badenoch has given key roles to a number of high-profile former Jenrick supporters, including former health secretary Victoria Atkins, who became shadow environment secretary, and former health secretary Edward Argar, who which she appointed shadow health secretary.

More junior appointments are expected in the coming days – although there is little prospect of the Conservatives matching Labor appointments.

Starmer has appointed 124 positions on the government payroll; more than the 121 Conservative MPs elected in July.

Some of the most experienced figures in the Conservative Party have refused to sit on the opposition front benches: former chancellor Rishi Sunak, former chancellor Jeremy Hunt and former international development secretary Andrew Mitchell have resolved to backtrack. return to the back seat.

Former Home Secretary James Cleverly and former Security Secretary Tom Tugendhat – who were eliminated third and fourth respectively in the leadership race – have also decided not to take on shadow cabinet roles .