Shadow Cabinet of Tony Blair explained

Cabinet Name:Blair Shadow Cabinet
Cabinet Type:Shadow Cabinet
Jurisdiction:the United Kingdom
Flag Border:true
Incumbent:19941997
Date Formed:21 July 1994
Date Dissolved:2 May 1997
Government Head Title:Leader of the Opposition
Government Head:Tony Blair
Other Government Minister Title:Shadow Deputy Prime Minister
State Head Title:Monarch
State Head:Elizabeth II
Election:1994 Labour Party leadership election
Last Election:1997 United Kingdom general election
Legislature Term:51st UK Parliament
Previous:Shadow Cabinet of Margaret Beckett
Successor:Shadow Cabinet of John Major
Deputy Government Head:John Prescott
Deputy Government Head Title:Deputy Leader of the Opposition

Tony Blair was Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition from his election as Leader on 21 July 1994 until he became Prime Minister on 2 May 1997. Blair became leader upon the death of John Smith.

Blair had three Shadow Cabinets during his tenure as opposition leader. Following his election as leader on 21 July 1994, Blair formed an interim shadow cabinet which remained largely the same as the shadow cabinet of his predecessor John Smith. On 20 October 1994, following the 1994 Shadow Cabinet elections, Blair announced his second Shadow Cabinet. Blair made a number of significant changes to the Shadow Cabinet on 19 October 1995, following the 1995 Shadow Cabinet elections. Small changes were made to the Shadow Cabinet at the 1996 Shadow Cabinet elections.

Blair's tenure as leader began with a historic rebranding of the party, who began to use the campaign label New Labour to distance itself from previous Labour politics and the traditional idea of socialism. Despite opposition from Labour's left-wing, he abolished Clause IV, the party's formal commitment to the nationalisation of the economy, weakened trade union influence in the party, and committed to the free market and the European Union.

Blair inherited the Labour leadership at a time when the party was ascendant over the Conservatives in the opinion polls, since the Conservative government's reputation in monetary policy declined as a result of the Black Wednesday economic disaster of September 1992. Blair's election as leader saw Labour support surge higher still in spite of the continuing economic recovery and fall in unemployment that the Conservative government led by John Major had overseen since the end of the 1990–92 recession.

At the 1996 Labour Party Conference, Blair stated that his three top priorities on coming to office were "education, education, and education". In 1996, the manifesto New Labour, New Life for Britain was published, which set out the party's new "Third Way" centrist approach to policy, and was presented as the brand of a newly reformed party that had altered Clause IV and endorsed market economics. In May 1995, Labour had achieved considerable success in the local and European elections, and had won four by-elections. For Blair, these achievements were a source of optimism, as they indicated that the Conservatives were in decline. Virtually every opinion poll since late-1992 put Labour ahead of the Conservatives with enough support to form an overall majority.

Shadow Cabinet list

PortfolioShadow MinisterTerm
Leader of Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition
Leader of the Labour Party
The Rt Hon. Tony Blair1994–1997
Deputy Leader of Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition
Deputy Leader of the Labour Party
The Rt Hon. John Prescott1994–1997
Leader of the Opposition in the House of LordsThe Rt Hon. The Lord Richard PC1994–1997
Labour Chief Whip in the House of CommonsThe Rt Hon. Derek Foster1994–1995
Donald Dewar1995–1997
Labour Chief Whip in the House of LordsThe Lord Graham of Edmonton1994–1997
Shadow Lord ChancellorThe Lord Irvine of Lairg1994–1997
Shadow Chancellor of the ExchequerGordon Brown1994–1997
Shadow Foreign SecretaryRobin Cook1994–1997
Shadow Home SecretaryJack Straw1994–1997
Shadow Secretary of State for DefenceDavid Clark1994–1997
Shadow Secretary of State for EmploymentHarriet Harman1994–1995
Shadow Secretary of State for EducationDavid Blunkett1994–1995
Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Employment1995–1997
Shadow Secretary of State for the EnvironmentFrank Dobson1994–1997
Shadow Secretary of State for HealthThe Rt Hon. Margaret Beckett1994–1995
Harriet Harman1995–1996
Chris Smith1996–1997
Shadow Leader of the House of CommonsAnn Taylor1994–1997
Shadow Minister for the Citizen's Charter1994–1995
The Rt Hon. Derek Foster1995–1997
Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster1995–1997
Shadow Secretary of State for Social SecurityDonald Dewar1994–1995
Chris Smith1995–1996
Harriet Harman1996–1997
Shadow Secretary of State for National Heritage
Shadow Minister with special responsibility for the Information Superhighway
Chris Smith1994–1995
The Rt Hon. Jack Cunningham1995–1997
Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry1994–1995
The Rt Hon. Margaret Beckett1995–1997
Shadow Secretary of State for TransportMichael Meacher1994–1995
Clare Short1995–1996
Andrew Smith1996–1997
Shadow Secretary of State for ScotlandGeorge Robertson1994–1997
Shadow Secretary of State for WalesRon Davies1994–1997
Shadow Secretary of State for Northern IrelandMo Mowlam1994–1997
Shadow Minister for Overseas DevelopmentJoan Lestor1994–1996
Clare Short1996–1997
Shadow Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and FoodGavin Strang1994–1997
Shadow Minister for EmploymentMichael Meacher1995–1996
Shadow Minister for Environmental Protection1996–1997

Initial Shadow Cabinet

Following his election as leader in July 1994, Blair formed his first shadow cabinet, which would serve for an interim basis until the 1994 Shadow Cabinet elections later that year. The shadow cabinet remained largely the same as it was under Blair's predecessor John Smith, though Alun Michael was appointed to succeed Blair as shadow home secretary and Ann Clwyd was appointed to serve as shadow secretary of state for employment in the place of newly elected deputy leader John Prescott.[1]

Second Shadow Cabinet

On 20 October 1994, following the 1994 Shadow Cabinet elections, Blair announced his second Shadow Cabinet.[2]

1995 reshuffle

Blair made a number of significant changes to the Shadow Cabinet on 19 October 1995, following the 1995 Shadow Cabinet elections.[3] Foster, who had been elected to the post, acceded to Blair's request that he step aside as Chief Whip; he was appointed Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Minister responsible for the Citizen's Charter, taking the latter from Taylor, who remained Shadow Leader of the House. Dewar was appointed Chief Whip under a new rule that made the job appointive and added on additional elective seat in the Shadow Cabinet. Chris Smith replaced Dewar at Social Security, and was replaced as Shadow National Heritage Secretary by Cunningham. Responsibility for the Information Superhighway was transferred from Shadow National Heritage Secretary to a junior Shadow Trade and Industry minister (Geoff Hoon). Cunningham was in turn replaced at the Trade and Industry brief by Beckett. Harman took over the Health portfolio Beckett had held. Blunkett added Harman's Employment portfolio to his own to reflect the created of the Department for Education and Employment.

Michael Meacher, while remaining in the Shadow Cabinet, became Blunkett's deputy as Shadow Minister for Employment, leaving the Transport brief to Clare Short, newly elected to the Shadow Cabinet. Another newcomer, Tom Clarke, was appointed to the new post of Shadow Minister for Disabled People's Rights.[4]

Changes

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Wintour . Patrick . 22 July 1994 . New team 'will not form a kitchen cabinet' . 10 August 2024 . The Guardian.
  2. Web site: Blair uses reshuffle to put own sta on Shadow Cabinet: Brown stays as shadow Chancellor—Cook takes foreign affairs—Straw is shadow Home Secretary—Beckett moves to health . The Independent . 21 October 1994 . 18 July 2011 . Timms . Nicholas.
  3. Web site: Blair turns tables in front bench 'clearout' . 20 October 1995 . 26 July 2011 . The Independent . Davies . Patricia Wynn . Donald Macintyre . Donald Macintyre (journalist) .
  4. Web site: New MPs promoted by Blair . 22 October 1995 . 26 July 2011 . The Independent.
  5. Web site: Opposition Front Bench Spokespersons 1996/97 . 26 October 1996 . 26 July 2011 . Weekly Information Bulletin . House of Commons Information Office.
  6. News: A rare national treasure in peril . John . Rentoul . The Independent . 26 July 1996.