Shadow Home Secretary

In British politics, the Shadow Home Secretary (formally known as the Shadow Secretary of State for the Home Department) is the person within the shadow cabinet who shadows the Home Secretary; this effectively means scrutinising government policy on home affairs including policing, national security, and matters of citizenship. The Shadow Home Secretary also formerly had responsibility for the criminal justice system and the prison service; these responsibilities are now held by the Shadow Justice Secretary. If the opposition party is elected to government, the Shadow Home Secretary often becomes the new Home Secretary, though this is not always the case. The office has been held by Labour MP Yvette Cooper since 29 November 2021.

Shadow Home Secretary
Incumbent
Yvette Cooper
since 29 November 2021
AppointerLeader of the Opposition
Inaugural holderKenneth Younger
Formation14 December 1955
WebsiteThe Shadow Cabinet

In recent decades, the positions of Home Secretary and Shadow Home Secretary have alternated between the Conservative and Labour parties. The corresponding position for the Liberal Democrats is the Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson.

List of Shadow Home Secretaries
Name Portrait Entered office Left office Party Shadow Cabinet
Kenneth Younger 14 December 1955 13 May 1957 Labour Gaitskell
Patrick Gordon-Walker Patrick Gordon Walker 13 May 1957 12 March 1962 Labour
George Brown George Brown 12 March 1962 15 February 1963 Labour
Frank Soskice 15 February 1963 15 October 1964 Labour Wilson I
Edward Boyle 15 October 1964 4 August 1965 Conservative Douglas-Home
Peter Thorneycroft Peter Thornycroft 4 August 1965 13 April 1966 Conservative Heath I
Quintin Hogg Quintin Hogg 13 April 1966 18 June 1970 Conservative
James Callaghan James Callaghan 18 June 1970 19 October 1971 Labour Wilson II
Shirley Williams Shirley Williams 19 October 1971 25 November 1973 Labour
Roy Jenkins Roy Jenkins 25 November 1973 4 March 1974 Labour
Jim Prior 11 March 1974 13 June 1974 Conservative Heath II
Keith Joseph 13 June 1974 11 February 1975 Conservative
Ian Gilmour 18 February 1975 15 January 1976 Conservative Thatcher
Willie Whitelaw 11 April 1976 4 May 1979 Conservative
Merlyn Rees 4 May 1979 4 November 1980 Labour Callaghan
Roy Hattersley Roy Hattersley 4 November 1980 31 October 1983 Labour Foot
Gerald Kaufman Gerald Kaufman 31 October 1983 13 July 1987 Labour Kinnock
Roy Hattersley Roy Hattersley 13 July 1987 24 July 1992 Labour
Tony Blair Tony Blair 24 July 1992 20 October 1994 Labour Smith
Beckett
Jack Straw Jack Straw 20 October 1994 2 May 1997 Labour Blair
Michael Howard 2 May 1997 11 June 1997 Conservative Major
Brian Mawhinney 11 June 1997 2 June 1998 Conservative Hague
Norman Fowler 2 June 1998 15 June 1999 Conservative
Ann Widdecombe[1] 15 June 1999 18 September 2001 Conservative
Oliver Letwin[2] Oliver Letwin 18 September 2001 10 November 2003 Conservative Duncan Smith
David Davis[3] David Davis 10 November 2003 12 June 2008 Conservative Howard
Cameron
Dominic Grieve[4] Dominic Grieve 12 June 2008 19 January 2009 Conservative
Chris Grayling[5] Chris Grayling 19 January 2009 6 May 2010 Conservative
Alan Johnson[6] 12 May 2010 8 October 2010 Labour Harman I
Ed Balls[7] 8 October 2010 20 January 2011 Labour Miliband
Yvette Cooper[8] 20 January 2011 14 September 2015 Labour
Harman II
Andy Burnham[9] 14 September 2015 6 October 2016 Labour Corbyn
Diane Abbott[10][11] 6 October 2016 5 April 2020 Labour
Nick Thomas-Symonds[12] 5 April 2020 29 November 2021 Labour Starmer
Yvette Cooper[8][13] 29 November 2021 Incumbent Labour

References
  1. "Miss Ann Widdecombe". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  2. "Sir Oliver Letwin". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  3. "Mr David Davis". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  4. "Mr Dominic Grieve". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  5. "Chris Grayling". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  6. "Alan Johnson". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  7. "Ed Balls". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  8. "Yvette Cooper". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  9. "Andy Burnham". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  10. "Ms Diane Abbott". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  11. "Labour reshuffle: Diane Abbott made shadow home secretary". BBC News. 7 October 2016.
  12. "Nick Thomas-Symonds". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  13. "Labour reshuffle: Yvette Cooper becomes shadow home secretary". BBC News. 30 November 2021.
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