Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer

The shadow chancellor of the exchequer is the member of the Shadow Cabinet who is responsible for shadowing the chancellor of the exchequer. The person is hired for the job by the leader of the Opposition. It is often seen as the second-most senior position, unless a shadow deputy prime minister is chosen.[1]

Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
Portrait of Mel Stride
Incumbent
Mel Stride

since 4 November 2024
StyleShadow Chancellor (informal)
Member ofOfficial Opposition Shadow Cabinet
AppointerLeader of the Opposition
Inaugural holderRab Butler

List of shadow chancellors

Name Portrait Term of office Party Shadow Cabinet
Rab Butler   10 December 1950 26 October 1951 Conservative
Hugh Gaitskell   26 October 1951 14 December 1955 Labour Attlee
Harold Wilson   14 December 1955 2 November 1961 Gaitskell
James Callaghan   2 November 1961 15 October 1964
Wilson I
Reginald Maudling 15 October 1964 16 February 1965[2] Conservative Douglas-Home
Edward Heath   16 February 1965[3] 11 November 1965 Heath I
Iain Macleod   11 November 1965 20 June 1970
Roy Jenkins   20 June 1970 19 April 1972 Labour Wilson II
Denis Healey   19 April 1972 4 March 1974
Robert Carr   4 March 1974 11 February 1975 Conservative Heath II
Sir Geoffrey Howe   11 February 1975 4 May 1979 Thatcher
Denis Healey   4 May 1979 8 December 1980 Labour Callaghan
Peter Shore 8 December 1980 31 October 1983 Foot
Roy Hattersley   31 October 1983 13 July 1987 Kinnock
John Smith 13 July 1987 24 July 1992
Gordon Brown   24 July 1992 2 May 1997 Smith
Beckett
Blair
Ken Clarke   2 May 1997 11 June 1997 Conservative Major
Peter Lilley   11 June 1997 2 June 1998 Hague
Francis Maude   2 June 1998 1 February 2000
Michael Portillo   1 February 2000 18 September 2001
Michael Howard   18 September 2001 6 November 2003 Duncan Smith
Oliver Letwin   6 November 2003 10 May 2005 Howard
George Osborne   10 May 2005 11 May 2010
Cameron
Alistair Darling   11 May 2010 8 October 2010 Labour Harman I
Alan Johnson   8 October 2010 20 January 2011 Miliband
Ed Balls   20 January 2011 11 May 2015
Chris Leslie   11 May 2015 12 September 2015 Harman II
John McDonnell   13 September 2015 5 April 2020 Corbyn
Anneliese Dodds   5 April 2020 9 May 2021 Starmer
Rachel Reeves   9 May 2021 5 July 2024
Jeremy Hunt   8 July 2024 4 November 2024 Conservative Sunak
Mel Stride   4 November 2024 Incumbent Badenoch

References

  1. Parker, George (18 October 2014). Alexander to replace Cable as LibDem shadow chancellor. London. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f4dda16c-5610-11e4-bbd6-00144feab7de.html#axzz3f2UP4sqV. Retrieved 5 July 2015. 
  2. Baston 2004, 246
  3. Baston 2004, 246