Sunak names interim shadow cabinet as David Cameron resigns

Sunak Appoints New Team, Lord Cameron Resigns

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Lord Cameron is not included in the temporary shadow cabinet.

Rishi Sunak has announced his temporary replacement team, following the defeat of 12 of his key members in the recent election.

Former Prime Minister Lord Cameron, who unexpectedly rejoined the cabinet in November, has stepped down and has been succeeded by his former deputy Andrew Mitchell as the shadow foreign secretary.

Richard Holden has stepped down as party chairman, citing difficult election results. He has been replaced by Richard Fuller, who previously served as Economic Secretary to the Treasury, as the temporary chairman.

Several important roles have stayed the same, with Jeremy Hunt retaining his position as shadow chancellor and James Cleverly continuing as shadow home secretary, reflecting the roles they previously held in government.

Nonetheless, James Cartlidge is now serving as the shadow defence secretary and Ed Argar has taken on the role of shadow justice secretary, following the defeats of Grant Shapps and Alex Chalk in their respective seats.

The Conservatives currently only have 121 Members of Parliament, which is the smallest number in the party's history. They lost 251 seats to Labour in a significant defeat.

In a post on social media, Lord Cameron expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to serve as foreign secretary. However, he acknowledged that as the Conservative Party transitions to being in the opposition, they will need to closely follow and scrutinize the new foreign secretary's actions in Parliament.

He stated: "Being a dedicated Conservative, I will continue to back the party and assist in any way possible as we work to recover from the extremely disappointing election outcome."

Lord Cameron did not encounter his counterpart in the House of Commons as a fellow parliamentarian.

Ex-Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch transitions to the position of shadow secretary of state for levelling up, housing, and communities, following Michael Gove's resignation as an MP.

Kevin Hollinrake, who was once the minister responsible for postal services, has now been appointed as the shadow minister for business.

Andrew Griffith, who used to work as a government minister, is now the shadow secretary of state for science, innovation, and technology.

Ex-schools minister Damian Hinds has taken on the role of shadow education secretary, following the defeat of Gillian Keegan in her election.

Chris Philp, a former Home Office minister, has been appointed as the shadow leader of the House of Commons. This decision came after Penny Mordaunt was removed from her position in Portsmouth North.

Helen Whately, who used to work in the health department, is now the opposition's spokesperson on transportation.

Julia Lopez has been named as the new shadow secretary of state for culture, media, and sport. This comes after Lucy Frazer no longer holds her position.

Some of the individuals who will still hold positions similar to their previous roles include Oliver Dowden, who is now the deputy leader of the opposition, Victoria Atkins, who is serving as the shadow health secretary, and Claire Coutinho, who has taken on the role of shadow secretary of state for energy security and net zero.

Acting party leader Richard Fuller stated: "The Conservative Party faced challenges in the election and it is crucial that we come together and consider these outcomes."

We need to honestly and thoroughly examine the strengths of the Conservative Party nationwide and identify areas for improvement.

In the letter where he announced he was leaving his position, Mr. Holden, who won the Conservative seat of Basildon and Billericay by a very small margin of 20 votes, expressed that being party chairman had been the most prestigious moment of his life.

He stated that the election campaign should undergo a "comprehensive assessment," and emphasized the importance of having a fresh perspective to ensure a clear analysis. Although he will contribute to the review process, he believes it should be conducted by someone with a new set of eyes.

Mr Sunak has announced that he will continue to lead the party until the process for choosing his replacement is finalized.

It is still uncertain when this will occur and no members of the Conservative party have declared their intention to run as his replacement.

Some of the potential candidates expected to run for office include ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick, former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, opposition health spokesperson Ms. Atkins, and newly appointed opposition minister for leveling up Ms. Badenoch.

Also, the additional roles that have been finalized are:

Mel Stride is the opposition spokesperson for work and pensions.

Steve Barclay, opposition spokesperson for environmental issues, agriculture, and rural development

Jeremy Wright, the opposition party's top legal expert

Alex Burghart, the opposition's spokesperson for Northern Ireland issues

John Lamont, opposition spokesperson for Scotland

Lord Davies of Gower, the politician who represents the opposition party in charge of overseeing matters related to Wales

Stuart Andrew, leader of the opposing whip team

Laura Trott, acting as the chief secretary to the Treasury

John Glen is the person in charge of overseeing the finances and budgeting in the government. He is responsible for managing the money and making sure it is used properly.

Tom Tugendhat, opposition spokesperson on security

Andrew Bowie, opposition spokesperson for veterans affairs

spokesperson, recently addressed the issue of gender equality in a blog post. Davies discussed the importance of ensuring that women are treated fairly and have equal opportunities. She emphasized the need for progress in closing the gender pay gap and increasing representation of women in leadership roles. Davies also highlighted the impact of gender stereotypes on women's advancement in the workplace. Overall, she called for continued efforts to promote gender equality and support women in all aspects of their lives.

Lord True, acting leader of the House of Lords