Shadow Cabinet of Michael Foot
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox government cabinet
|cabinet_name=Foot Shadow Cabinet
|current_number=
|cabinet_type=Shadow Cabinet
|jurisdiction=the United Kingdom|flag=Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
|flag_border=true
|image=File:Michael Foot Solidarity Chile 266 (cropped).jpg
|date_formed=10 November 1980
|date_dissolved=2 October 1983
|government_head_title=Leader of the Opposition
|government_head=Michael Foot
|other_government_minister_title=Shadow Deputy Prime Minister
|other_government_minister=
|state_head_title=Monarch
|state_head=Elizabeth II
|cabinet_number=
|total_number=
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|political_party={{ubl|{{Color box|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} Labour Party}}
|legislature_status = Official Opposition {{Composition bar|269|635|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|background-color=|border border-color=darkgray|width=|per=1}} (1979)
{{Composition bar|209|650|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|background-color=|border border-color=darkgray|width=|per=1}} (1983)
|opposition_cabinet=
|opposition_party=
|opposition_leader=
|election=1980 Labour Party leadership election
|last_election=
|legislature_term=48th UK Parliament
49th UK Parliament
|budget=
|incoming_formation=
|previous=Shadow Cabinet of James Callaghan
|successor=Shadow Cabinet of Neil Kinnock
|deputy_government_head=Denis Healey
|deputy_government_head_title=Deputy Leader of the Opposition
}}
{{Short description|Shadow Cabinet of the United Kingdom from 1983 to 1992}}
Michael Foot was Leader of the Opposition from 4 November 1980, following his victory in the 1980 leadership election, to 2 October 1983, when he was replaced by Neil Kinnock at the 1983 leadership election. The 1980 leadership contest was triggered by James Callaghan's loss at the 1979 general election, and the 1983 contest by Foot's own disastrous defeat in the 1983 general election.
Until 2011, the Labour MPs elected the bulk of the membership of the Shadow Cabinet. The leader was expected to assign portfolios to those elected, but was able to assign portfolios to MPs not elected to the Shadow Cabinet and to refuse to assign portfolios to elected members. For example, William Rodgers was not given a portfolio despite winning in the 1980 Shadow Cabinet elections. When he left the party months later to help create the Social Democratic Party, Tony Benn automatically joined the Shadow Cabinet. Foot also chose not to give the more radical Benn a portfolio. When Benn lost in the 1981 Shadow Cabinet elections, all the new members received portfolios (Shadow Minister for Europe became a Shadow Cabinet post for the rest of Foot's tenure as leader).
Shadow Cabinet List
{{PoliticsUK}}
Initial Shadow Cabinet
Foot announced his first Shadow Cabinet on 8 December 1980, following the 1980 Shadow Cabinet elections.{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19801209&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |title=Rodgers out in cold |work=The Glasgow Herald |page=1 |date=9 December 1980 |author=William Russell}}
- Michael Foot – Leader of Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition
- Denis Healey – Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and Shadow Foreign Secretary
- Peter Shore – Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
- Roy Hattersley – Shadow Home Secretary
- John Silkin – Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
- Brynmor John – Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
- Stan Orme – Shadow Secretary of State for Industry
- Eric Varley – Shadow Secretary of State for Employment
- Gerald Kaufman – Shadow Secretary of State for Environment
- Merlyn Rees – Shadow Secretary of State for Energy
- John Smith – Shadow Secretary of State for Trade
- Albert Booth – Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
- Roy Mason – Shadow Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
- Neil Kinnock – Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Science
- Norman Buchan – Shadow Secretary of State for Social Services
- Gwyneth Dunwoody – Shadow Secretary of State for Health
- Bruce Millan – Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
- Alec Jones – Shadow Secretary of State for Wales
- Don Concannon – Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
- Frank McElhone – Shadow Minister for Overseas Development
- John Morris – Shadow Attorney General
- William Rodgers – Shadow Minister without Portfolio
- The Lord Peart – Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords
- Michael Cocks – Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Commons
- The Baroness Llewelyn-Davies of Hastoe – Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Lords
=Changes=
- 27 January 1981: Rodgers resigned from the Shadow Cabinet and was replaced by Tony Benn. This came days after Rodgers, Shirley Williams, David Owen, and Roy Jenkins (the "Gang of Four") created the Council for Social Democracy,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=i_ZlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=G4wNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1032,3758982&dq=michael+foot+shadow-cabinet&hl=en |title=Labour rebel quits shadow cabinet |work=Vancouver Sun|location=Vancouver, British Columbia |agency=Associated Press |page=A9}} a step along the way to their creation of the Social Democratic Party.
1981 reshuffle
On 24 November 1981, following the 1981 Shadow Cabinet elections, Foot reshuffled the Shadow Cabinet. Brynmor John moved from Defence to Social Services and was replaced by Silkin, who retained the post of Shadow Leader of the House. Buchnan replaced Mason at Agriculture. Benn, Mason, and Morris were dropped from the Shadow Cabinet. Peter Archer and Eric Heffer joined the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Attorney General and Shadow Minister for Europe, respectively.{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-O5AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nKcMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6266,3813983&dq=michael+foot+shadow-cabinet&hl=en |title=Silkin springs to Foot's defence |work=Evening Times |date=24 November 1981 |page=4}}
- Michael Foot – Leader of Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition
- Denis Healey – Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and Shadow Foreign Secretary
- Peter Shore – Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
- Roy Hattersley – Shadow Home Secretary
- John Silkin – Shadow Secretary of State for Defence and Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
- Brynmor John – Shadow Secretary of State for Social Services
- Stan Orme – Shadow Secretary of State for Industry
- Eric Varley – Shadow Secretary of State for Employment
- Gerald Kaufman – Shadow Secretary of State for Environment
- Merlyn Rees – Shadow Secretary of State for Energy
- John Smith – Shadow Secretary of State for Trade
- Albert Booth – Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
- Norman Buchan – Shadow Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
- Neil Kinnock – Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Science
- Gwyneth Dunwoody – Shadow Secretary of State for Health
- Bruce Millan – Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
- Alec Jones – Shadow Secretary of State for Wales
- Don Concannon – Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
- Frank McElhone – Shadow Minister for Overseas Development
- Eric Heffer – Shadow Minister for Europe
- Peter Archer – Shadow Attorney General
- The Lord Peart – Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords
- Michael Cocks – Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Commons
- The Baroness Llewelyn-Davies of Hastoe – Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Lords
=Changes=
- 22 September 1982: McElhone died, replaced by Guy Barnett.
- 4 November 1982: Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos defeated the incumbent leader in the Lords, Lord Peart, by 60–37.{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FsJAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=96UMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3257,912850&dq=peart+lords&hl=en |title=No whip's job for Canavan |work=The Glasgow Herald |page=6 |date=5 November 1982}} Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede also succeeded Baroness Llewelyn-Davies as Lords Chief Whip for Labour.
- 24 November 1982: Foot conducted a mini-reshuffle following the 1982 Shadow Cabinet elections. Smith moved from Trade to Energy, and Rees moved to a "policy role".{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JcJAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=96UMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3381,4500605&dq=john-smith&hl=en |title=Shadow Cabinet takes on a familiar look |date=24 November 1982 |author=William Russell |page=1}} Archer replaced Smith at Trade.{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/peter-archer/26469 |title=Lord Archer of Sandwell |accessdate=23 September 2011 |publisher=House of Lords Information Office}} In turn, Arthur Davidson replaced him as Shadow Attorney General until he lost his seat in the 1983 General Election, when John Morris returned to the role of Shadow Attorney General (which he would hold through successive leaders until 1997, when he became Attorney General).{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/john-morris/26955 |title=Lord Morris of Aberavon |accessdate=23 September 2011 |publisher=House of Lords Information Office}}
- 20 March 1983: Jones Died, replaced by Denzil Davies{{Cite web |url=http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/RP10-33.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=19 February 2015 |archive-date=11 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200811120127/https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/RP10-33/RP10-33.pdf |url-status=dead }}
References
{{reflist}}
{{British shadow cabinets}}
{{UK Labour Party}}
{{Michael Foot}}
Category:1980 establishments in the United Kingdom
Category:1981 in the United Kingdom
Category:1982 in the United Kingdom
Category:1980 elections in the United Kingdom
Category:1983 elections in the United Kingdom
Category:1983 disestablishments in the United Kingdom