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Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
Incumbent
Rachel Reeves
since 9 May 2021
AppointerLeader of the Opposition
Inaugural holderRab Butler
WebsiteThe Shadow Cabinet

The Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in the British Parliamentary system is the member of the Shadow Cabinet who is responsible for shadowing the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The title is given at the gift of the Leader of the Opposition and has no formal constitutional role, but is generally considered the second-most senior position on the opposition frontbench, after the Leader. Past Shadow Chancellors include Harold Wilson, James Callaghan, Edward Heath, Geoffrey Howe, Kenneth Clarke, Gordon Brown, and John McDonnell.

The current Shadow Chancellor is Rachel Reeves, who has held the position since 9 May 2021. She is the second woman to hold the position.

The name for the position has a mixed history. It is used to designate the lead economic spokesman for the Opposition. The name 'Shadow Chancellor' has also been used for the corresponding position for the Liberal Democrats, the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson.[1] This was a source of humour for Chancellor Gordon Brown, who in 2005 played the two off against one another in Parliament, saying, "I, too, have a great deal of time for the shadow Chancellor who resides in Twickenham [Liberal Democrat Vince Cable], rather than the shadow Chancellor for the Conservative Party."[2]

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[3] Conservative Douglas-Home
Edward Heath 16 February 1965[4] 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 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 Incumbent

References

  1. ^ Parker, George (18 October 2014). "Alexander to replace Cable as LibDem shadow chancellor". Financial Times. London. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  2. ^ Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons, Westminster (5 December 2005). "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 5 Dec 2005 (pt 8)". Publications.parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 28 October 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2019.((cite web)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Baston 2004, 246
  4. ^ Baston 2004, 246

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