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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Politics
Nicholas Cecil

London MP Chris Philp becomes shadow home secretary as Kemi Badenoch announces her top team

London MP Chris Philp has become shadow home secretary as Kemi Badenoch unveiled her top team.

The Croydon South MP has held a series of post in government when the Tories were in power including as police minister, London minister and in the Treasury.

He has been an outspoken critic of Mayor Sadiq Khan’s handling of the police in London.

Orpington MP Gareth Bacon becomes shadow transport secretary.

New party leader Ms Badenoch, who was chairing her first shadow Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, said: “I am delighted to have appointed my Shadow Cabinet, which draws on the talents of people from across the Conservative Party, based on meritocracy and with a breadth of experience and perspective, just as I promised during the campaign.

“Our party’s problems will only be solved with a team effort, and I am confident my Shadow Cabinet ministers will deliver effective opposition as we seek to win back the trust of the public.

“We will now get to work holding Labour to account and rebuilding our party based on Conservative principles and values.

“The process of renewing our great party has now begun.”

The Tories suffered their worst election defeat since 1832 in July and now have only 121 MPs in the Commons.

Other key appointments are shadow chancellor Mel Stride, a moderate Tory, Right winger Dame Priti Patel as shadow foreign secretary, and James Cartlidge as shadow defence secretary.

Robert Jenrick, who Ms Badenoch beat in the showdown vote of party members, becomes shadow justice secretary.

Former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, ex-Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and former Health Secretary Steve Barclay have decided to return to the backbenches.

In other appointments, Ed Argar is shadow health secretary, Laura Trott shadow education secretary, and Yorkshire MP Kevin Hollinrake, shadow secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities.

Victoria Atkins is shadow environment secretary, Andrew Griffith shadow business secretary, Claire Coutinho, shadow net zero secretary and shadow women’s minister, with Helen Whately as shadow work and pensions secretary.

Stuart Andrew is shadow culture secretary, Alan Mak shadow science secretary, and Alex Burghart shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland.

Jesse Norman is shadow Commons leader, Dame Rebecca Harris shadow chief whip, and Lord True shadow Lords Leader.

Andrew Bowie is shadow Scotland secretary and Mims Davies shadow Welsh secretary.

The two party co-chairmen are Nigel Huddleston and Lord Johnson, with Richard Fuller shadow chief secretary to the Treasury.

Hornchurch and Upminster MP Julia Lopez, as Ms Badenoch’s parliamentary private secretary, will also attend the shadow Cabinet.

More junior shadow ministerial roles are due to be announced in coming days.

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