Kemi Badenoch appoints Mel Stride, Priti Patel and Robert Jenrick to shadow cabinet

Kemi Badenoch has named Robert Jenrick as the shadow justice secretary, Mel Stride as the shadow chancellor, and Priti Patel as the shadow foreign secretary. This is part of her effort to assemble a frontbench team that aims to bring the Conservative Party together.

There were some doubts regarding whether Jenrick had first expressed interest in a different position, which hinted at possible conflicts between the last two candidates vying to succeed Rishi Sunak.

After Badenoch selected Laura Trott, a key ally in her campaign, as shadow education secretary, she also appointed three MPs who had competed against her in the leadership race.

It wasn't clear if Jenrick's decision to take on a position that might be viewed as a mid-level role in the shadow cabinet was his top preference, especially after reports suggested there had been some disagreements between him and Badenoch regarding his position. A supporter of Jenrick commented: "Robert was always eager to contribute."

Badenoch had previously assigned two more of her allies to positions, with Rebecca Harris taking on the role of chief whip and Nigel Huddlestone being named co-chair of the Conservative Party alongside Dominic Johnson, a Tory peer and former donor.

Neil O’Brien, who many expected would secure a position in the shadow cabinet, was instead appointed as the second-in-command of the education team. Some commentators view this as a bit of a setback for him, especially since he is an ally of Jenrick, who lost to Badenoch in a vote among Conservative members, with the outcome revealed on Saturday.

Supporters of Badenoch indicated that there would not be any further appointments on Monday. The complete list is expected to be revealed before a shadow cabinet meeting on Tuesday to prevent ongoing updates as positions are finalized.

With just 121 Conservative MPs available—out of a total of 124 required for a full government—Badenoch will have some constraints on her selections. This is even more pronounced as several senior members of the party have expressed that they are not interested in taking on positions.

This group features Jeremy Hunt, the ex-chancellor and former shadow chancellor, as well as James Cleverly, the shadow home secretary who was initially seen as the top contender for the leadership until he unexpectedly lost in the last round of voting among Conservative MPs.

Jenrick studied to become a solicitor and practiced as a corporate lawyer, which gives him a relevant foundation for overseeing justice matters. His most recent role in the government was as the immigration minister, where he prioritized immigration issues and advocated for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights during his campaign for leadership.

The competition featured some veiled personal insults exchanged between Jenrick and Badenoch. Jenrick vowed to “put an end to the drama,” hinting at Badenoch's tendency to stir up disputes. He was visibly upset when she mentioned that he had to “step down in shame” as housing minister due to a scandal involving a conflict of interest related to planning.

The selection of Stride is viewed as Badenoch's attempt to connect with the more moderate members of the party, especially following Andrew Griffith, one of her main backers, being closely associated with the position.

Stride was among six contenders to replace Sunak as the leader of the Conservative Party, but he was eliminated in the second round of voting by the party's MPs. Afterward, he supported James Cleverly, who was eventually also eliminated.

Stride held the position of Secretary of State for Work and Pensions during Rishi Sunak's leadership. Before that, he worked as a minister at the Treasury and led the Treasury committee.

Patel, who also sought the leadership but was eliminated in the initial round, has had a tumultuous time in her ministerial role. She managed to remain as home secretary only because Boris Johnson chose not to dismiss her, even after an official inquiry found proof that she had bullied civil servants.

The scandal, which was just one of many challenges facing Johnson's administration, led to the resignation of Sir Alex Allan, his adviser on ethics. This occurred after Johnson chose to retain Priti Patel in her position, even though an official report had revealed that she engaged in behavior that could be classified as bullying, including episodes of yelling and cursing.

In 2017, Patel had to step down from her position as international development secretary under Theresa May. This happened because she had attended several unofficial meetings with Israeli officials, business leaders, and a prominent lobbyist during a trip to Israel that was presented as a vacation.

A source within Badenoch's team indicated that the choice to bring on board two previous candidates from different factions of the party—Patel representing the right and Stride the center—showcases Kemi's intention to bring the party together.

Badenoch named Trott to her position earlier on Monday, allowing her to address education inquiries and give feedback on a government announcement regarding rising university tuition costs.