Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

{{Infobox Political post

|post = Shadow Leader
of the House of Commons

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| insignia = House of Commons of the United Kingdom logo 2018.svg

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|image = Official portrait of Rt Hon Jesse Norman MP.jpg

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|incumbent = Jesse Norman

|incumbentsince = 5 November 2024

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|nominatorpost =

|appointer = Leader of the Opposition

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|website = [https://labour.org.uk/people/shadow-cabinet/ The Shadow Cabinet]

}}

The Shadow Leader of the House of Commons is a member of the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet responsible for working with the Leader of the House in arranging Commons business and holding the Government to account in its overall management of the House. The Shadow Leader also responds to the Business Statement of Leader of House each Thursday, though the Leader of the Opposition exercised this role until the late 1980s. The office is roughly equivalent to the Shadow Leader of the House of Lords.

Shadow Leaders

class="wikitable sortable sticky-header-multi" style=text-align:center" style="margin:1em auto;" ! colspan="2"\|Name !! Portrait !! Took office !! Left office !! Political party !! Leader of the Opposition
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}"\| \| Herbert Morrison{{cite web \|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/william_rees_mogg/article6695043.ece \|title=This Bill is a panic measure in a tarnished age \|work=The Times \|author=William Rees-Mogg \|date=13 July 2009}}{{dead link\|date=September 2024\|bot=medic}}{{cbignore\|bot=medic}} \| 75px \| 1951 \| c. 1955 \| Labour \| Clement Attlee
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}"\| \| rowspan=3 colspan=4 \| Unknown \| rowspan=3 \| Labour \| Hugh Gaitskell
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}"\| \| George Brown
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}"\| \| Harold Wilson
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}"\| \| Selwyn Lloyd \| 75px \| 16 October 1964{{#tag:ref\|Lloyd was Leader of the House before the Conservatives lost the 1964 election and was "retained" in the portfolio of "co-ordination of the Opposition in the Commons.{{cite web \|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7mJAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mqMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4366,2862204&dq=heath+shadow-cabinet&hl=en \|title=The Team Change \|date=17 February 1965 \|work=The Glasgow Herald}} It is not clear whether the Conservative party at this point used the term "Shadow Leader" to describe the job,[https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1969/mar/31/agriculture-annual-price-review#column_128 31 March 1969 c 128]. but the term was used.[https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1968/may/21/finance-bill-allocation-of-time#column_455 21 May 1968 c 455].\|group=n}} \| 4 August 1965{{cite web \|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WVxAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jaMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1872,567958&dq=heath+shadow-cabinet&hl=en \|title=Mr Heath's Team \|date=5 August 1965 \|work=The Glasgow Herald \|page=8}} \| Conservative \| Alec Douglas-Home
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}"\| \| colspan=2 \| Unknown/Vacant{{#tag:ref\|Edward Heath reshuffled the Conservative front bench after being elected leader in the summer of 1964, though he rejected the term "Shadow Cabinet" and instituted a "federal system", three Shadow ministers being in charge of a general area (foreign, economic, and home affairs). For example, Alec Douglas-Home headed foreign affairs, sitting above the Shadow Foreign and Defence Secretaries. The former members of the Shadow Cabinet remained, but three members had no specific responsibilities.{{cite news \|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fS9gAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hW8NAAAAIBAJ&pg=7119,451640&dq=heath+shadow-cabinet&hl=en \|title=Unity seen factor in Heath "cabinet" choices \|work=Saskatoon Star-Phoenix \|date=5 August 1965 \|agency=Associated Press}} It is unclear whether Heath himself was in effect Shadow Leader of the House, as would have been common before the Second World War, or the responsibilities were assigned to one or more shadow ministers.\|group=n}} \| 4 August 1965 \| 19 June 1970 \| Conservative \| Edward Heath
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}"\| \| Fred Peart \| 75px \| 19 June 1970{{#tag:ref\|Peart was Leader of the House going into Labour's election loss on 18 June 1970 and left the role of Shadow Leader of the House on 16 December 1971. There is no evidence that anyone else served as Shadow Leader between those dates.\|group=n\|name=Peart}} \| 16 December 1971 \| Labour \| rowspan=3 \| Harold Wilson
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}"\| \| Michael Foot \| 75px \| 16 December 1971{{cite web \|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=z9A9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=E0gMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5921,3423474&dq=shadow-leader&hl=en \|title=Wilson Gives Foot Key Market Role \|date=17 December 1971 \|access-date=18 January 2011 \|work=The Glasgow Herald \|page=22 \|last=Warden \|first=John}} \| 6 December 1972 \| Labour
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}"\| \| Edward Short \| 75px \| 6 December 1972{{cite web \|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=N9A9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=AUgMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2742,1444225&dq=shadow-leader&hl=en \|title=Wilson Gives Shore Key Prices Post \|date=7 December 1972 \|access-date=18 January 2011 \|work=The Glasgow Herald \|page=16 \|last=Russell \|first=William}} \| 4 March 1974 \| Labour
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}"\| \| James Prior \| 75px \| 4 March 1974{{cite web \|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3Y5AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3aQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4651,5275073&dq=james-prior+leader&hl=en \|title=Higher Allowances for MPs \|date=22 May 1974 \|access-date=18 July 2011 \|work=The Glasgow Herald \|page=2}} \| 29 October 1974 \| Conservative \| rowspan=2 \| Edward Heath
rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}"\| \| rowspan=2 \| John Peyton \| rowspan=2 \| 75px \| rowspan=2 \| 29 October 1974{{cite web \|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=e-ZaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=M5IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6361,6750106&dq=shadow-leader&hl=en \|title=New Tory Post for Whitelaw \|date=30 October 1974 \|access-date=18 July 2011 \|work=The Age \|page=6}} \| rowspan=2 \| 19 November 1976 \| rowspan=2 \| Conservative
rowspan=3 \| Margaret Thatcher
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}"\| \| Francis Pym \| 75px \| 19 November 1976{{cite web \|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EMRaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h10DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6718,3394727&dq=pym&hl=en \|title=British Opposition Names New Spokesmen \|date=20 November 1976 \|access-date=18 January 2011 \|work=St Petersburg Times \|page=8A \|last=Grigg \|first=Joseph W}} \| Approx. 20 November 1978{{#tag:ref\|In October 1978, Pym was made Shadow Foreign Secretary,{{cite news \|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3gI-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=dUkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2596,1335047&dq=john+davies&hl=en \|title=Pym favourite for top Thatcher post \|work=The Glasgow Herald \|date=7 November 1978 \|author=Geoffrey Parkhouse \|page=1}} and St John-Stevas succeeded him.[https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1978/nov/21/pay-policy-tuc-talks#S5CV0958P0_19781121_HOC_157 House of Commons Debates 21 November 1979 c 1092]. (The Prime Minister, James Callaghan, welcoming St John-Stevas to "his new post").[https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1978/dec/07/business-of-the-house-1#S5CV0959P0_19781207_HOC_441 House of Commons Debates 7 December 1979 c 1698]. (St John-Stevas referring to his appointment as Shadow Leader).\|group=n\|name=Pym}} \| Conservative
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}"\| \| Norman St John-Stevas \| \| Approx. 20 November 1978 \| 5 May 1979 \| Conservative
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}"\| \| Michael Foot \| 75px \| 4 May 1979{{cite web \|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3PM9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=-EgMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6502,3415447&dq=michael+foot+shadow-cabinet&hl=en \|title=Shore Steps Up as Owen Is Demoted \|date=15 June 1979 \|access-date=18 January 2011 \|work=The Glasgow Herald \|page=1 \|last=Pankhouse \|first=Geoffrey}} \| 8 December 1980 \| Labour \| James Callaghan
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}"\| \| John Silkin \| 75px \| 8 December 1980{{cite web \|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=g-49AAAAIBAJ&sjid=zUgMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2023,1709443&dq=shadow-leader+silkin&hl=en \|title=Foot's Soft Shoe Reshuffle \|date=9 December 1980 \|access-date=18 January 2011 \|work=The Glasgow Herald \|page=6 \|last=Russell \|first=William}} \| 30 October 1983 \| Labour \| Michael Foot
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}"\| \| Peter Shore \| 75px \| 30 October 1983{{cite web \|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=K_s9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=K0kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5830,70146&dq=peter-shore+kinnock&hl=en \|title=Protest by Nationalists as Dewar Takes Over \|date=1 November 1983 \|access-date=18 January 2011 \|work=The Glasgow Herald \|page=7 \|last=Pankhouse \|first=Geoffrey}} \| 13 July 1987 \| Labour \| rowspan=3 \| Neil Kinnock
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}"\| \| Frank Dobson \| 75px \| 13 July 1987{{cite web \|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mAk-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=u0kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2205,2850692&dq=shadow-leader&hl=en \|title=Kinnock Cashes in on the Scots \|date=13 July 1987 \|access-date=18 January 2011 \|work=Evening Times \|page=7 \|last=Hernon \|first=Ian}} \| 2 November 1989 \| Labour
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}"\| \| John Cunningham \| 75px \| 2 November 1989{{cite web \|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jUVAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YFkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2959,436902&dq=shadow-leader&hl=en \|title=Kinnock Splits his Top Treasury Team \|date=2 November 1989 \|access-date=18 January 2011 \|work=The Glasgow Herald \|page=7 \|last=Pankhouse \|first=Geoffrey}} \| 24 July 1992 \| Labour
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}"\| \| Margaret Beckett \| 75px \| 24 July 1992{{cite web \|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/smith-revamps-shadow-cabinet-nicholas-timmins-analyses-the-labour-lineup-and-looks-at-the-backgrounds-of-the-newcomers-1535256.html \|title=Smith Revamps Shadow Cabinet \|work=The Independent \|date=25 July 1992 \|access-date=18 July 2011 \|last=Timms \|first=Nicholas}} \| 13 May 1994 \| Labour \| John Smith
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}"\| \| Nick Brown {{small\|(Acting)}} \| 75px \| 13 May 1994{{cite web \|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/commons-inquiry-to-cover-all-mps-fees-1413424.html \|title=Commons inquiry to cover all MPs' fees \|work=The Independent \|date=13 July 1994 \|access-date=18 July 2011 \|last=MacIntyre \|first=Donald \|author-link=Donald Macintyre (journalist)}} \| 21 July 1994 \| Labour \| Margaret Beckett
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}"\| \| Margaret Beckett \| 75px \| 21 July 1994 \| 20 October 1994 \| Labour \| rowspan=2 \| Tony Blair
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}"\| \| Ann Taylor \| 75px \| 20 October 1994{{cite web \|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/blair-uses-reshuffle-to-put-own-stamp-on-shadow-cabinet-brown-stays-as-shadow-chancellor--cook-takes-foreign-affairs--straw-is-shadow-home-secretary--beckett-moves-to-health-1444101.html \|title=Blair uses reshuffle to put own stamp on Shadow Cabinet: Brown stays as shadow Chancellor—Cook takes foreign affairs—Straw is shadow Home Secretary—Beckett moves to health \|work=The Independent \|date=21 October 1994 \|access-date=18 July 2011 \|last=Timms \|first=Nicholas}} \| 2 May 1997 \| Labour
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}"\| \| Alastair Goodlad \| 75px \| May 1997{{cite web \|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/election97/cabinet/shadow.htm \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990203091623/http://www.bbc.co.uk/election97/cabinet/shadow.htm \|publisher=BBC News \|title=BBC Election 97: The Shadow Cabinet \|archive-date=3 February 1999}} \| 30 June 1997 \| Conservative \| John Major
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}"\| \| Gillian Shephard \| 75px \| 30 June 1997{{cite web \|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmwib/wb970705/oppo.htm \|title=Opposition Front Bench \|date=5 July 1997 \|work=Weekly Information Bulletin \|publisher=House of Commons Information Office}} \| 2 June 1998 \| Conservative \| rowspan=3 \| William Hague
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}"\| \| Sir George Young \| 75px \| 1 June 1998{{cite web \|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/104199.stm \|title=Hague Reshuffles Shadow Cabinet \|date=1 June 1998 \|access-date=18 July 2011 \|publisher=BBC News}} \| 22 September 2000{{cite web \|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/george-young-to-stand-for-speaker-699085.html \|title=George Young to stand for Speaker \|date=23 September 2000 \|access-date=18 July 2011 \|work=The Independent \|last=Grice \|first=Andrew}} \| Conservative
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}"\| \| Angela Browning \| 75px \| 26 September 2000 {{cite web \|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/hague-puts-thatcher-adviser-on-front-bench-698928.html \|title=Hague Puts Thatcher Adviser on Front Bench \|date=27 September 2000 \|access-date=18 July 2011 \|work=The Independent \|last=Woolf \|first=Marie}} \| 18 September 2001 \| Conservative
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}"\| \| Eric Forth \| 75px \| 18 September 2001{{cite web \|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1340994/Ill-never-scrap-the-pound-says-Duncan-Smith.html \|title=I'll Never Scrap the Pound, Says Duncan Smith \|date=19 September 2001 \|work=The Telegraph\|location=London \|access-date=18 July 2011 \|last=Jones \|first=George}} \| 10 November 2003 \| Conservative \| Iain Duncan Smith
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}"\| \| Oliver Heald \| 75px \| 10 November 2003{{cite web \|url=http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Cambridge/Shadow-rles-for-regions-MPs.htm \|title=Shadow Roles for Region's MPs \|access-date=18 July 2011 \|work=Cambridge City News \|date=11 November 2003 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120925070537/http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Cambridge/Shadow-rles-for-regions-MPs.htm \|archive-date=25 September 2012 }} \| 10 May 2005 \| Conservative \| rowspan=2 \| Michael Howard
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}"\| \| Chris Grayling \| 75px \| 10 May 2005{{cite web \|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4533555.stm \|title=Howard Reshuffles Top Tory Team \|date=10 May 2005 \|access-date=18 July 2011 \|publisher=BBC News}} \| 8 December 2005 \| Conservative
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}"\| \| Theresa May \| 75px \| 8 December 2005{{cite web \|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4509346.stm \|title=Cameron Forges Fresh Team \|date=8 December 2005 \|access-date=18 July 2011 \|publisher=BBC News \|last=Assinder \|first=Nick}} \| 19 January 2009 \| Conservative \| rowspan=3 \| David Cameron
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}"\| \| Alan Duncan \| 75px \| 19 January 2009{{cite web \|url=http://news.scotsman.com/politics/Clarke-returns-to-shadow-cabinet.4890112.jp \|title=Clarke Returns to Shadow Cabinet \|date=19 January 2009 \|work=The Scotsman \|access-date=18 July 2011}} \| 7 September 2009{{cite web \|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8243026.stm \|title=Tory 'Rations' MP Demoted \|date=7 September 2009 \|access-date=18 July 2011 \|publisher=BBC News}} \| Conservative
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}"\| \| Sir George Young \| 75px \| 8 September 2009{{cite web \|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/6154398/George-Young-replaces-Alan-Duncan-as-shadow-leader-of-Commons.html \|title=George Young replaces Alan Duncan as shadow leader of Commons \|date=8 September 2009 \|access-date=18 July 2011 \|work=The Telegraph\|location=London}} \| 11 May 2010 \| Conservative
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}"\| \| Rosie Winterton \| 75px \| 12 May 2010 \| 8 October 2010 \| Labour \| Harriet Harman
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}"\| \| Hilary Benn \| 75px \| 8 October 2010 \| 7 October 2011{{cite web \|url=http://www.channel4.com/news/alan-johnson-leads-shadow-cabinet-appointments \|title=Alan Johnson Leads Shadow Cabinet Appointments \|date=8 October 2010 \|access-date=18 July 2011 \|publisher=Channel 4}} \| Labour \| rowspan=2 \| Ed Miliband
rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}"\| \| rowspan=2 \| Angela Eagle \| rowspan=2 \| 75px \| rowspan=2 \| 7 October 2011 \| rowspan=2 \| 13 September 2015 \| rowspan=2 \| Labour
Harriet Harman
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}"\| \| Chris Bryant \| 75px \| 13 September 2015 \| 26 June 2016 \| Labour \| rowspan=3 \| Jeremy Corbyn
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}" \| \| Paul Flynn \| 75px \| 4 July 2016 \| 6 October 2016 \| Labour
rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}" \| \| rowspan=2 \| Valerie Vaz \| rowspan=2 \| 75px \| rowspan=2 \| 6 October 2016 \| rowspan=2 \| 9 May 2021 \| rowspan=2 \| Labour
rowspan=3 \| Sir Keir Starmer
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}" \| \| Thangam Debbonaire \| 75px \| 9 May 2021 \| 4 September 2023 \| Labour
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}" \| \| Lucy Powell \| 75px \| 4 September 2023 \| 5 July 2024 \| Labour
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}" \| \|Chris Philp \|75px \|8 July 2024 \|5 November 2024 \|Conservative \|Rishi Sunak
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}" \| \|Jesse Norman \|75px \|5 November 2024 \|Incumbent \|Conservative \|Kemi Badenoch

class="wikitable sortable sticky-header-multi" style=text-align:center" style="margin:1em auto;"

! colspan="2"|Name !! Portrait !! Took office !! Left office !! Political party !! Leader of the Opposition

style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}"|

| Herbert Morrison{{cite web |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/william_rees_mogg/article6695043.ece |title=This Bill is a panic measure in a tarnished age |work=The Times |author=William Rees-Mogg |date=13 July 2009}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

Shadow Leaders

References

See also