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loading="eager" alt="EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock Kemi Badenoch smiling. She wears a purple dress with a red poppy pin, while a crowd is sat behind her, with two men’s faces visible.” class=”sc-a34861b-0 efFcac” />
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New Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has started making the first appointments to her top team ahead of her new shadow cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Badenoch has given former Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott the job of shadow education secretary, with Neil O’Brien appointed shadow education minister, the BBC understands.
Both will appear in their new roles in the House of Commons later for Education Questions.
Meanwhile, Nigel Huddleston and Lord Dominic Johnson have been appointed as joint chairmen of the Conservative party, the BBC understands.
This follows the appointment of Castle Point MP Dame Rebecca Harris as Tory chief whip on Sunday evening.
Badenoch was declared winner of the Conservative Party‘s leadership election on Saturday, beating Robert Jenrick.
She told staff at Conservative headquarters on Monday that the Tories could be back in government within five years, a party source has told the BBC.
Badenoch said their first challenge was listening to local Tories and winning back council seats in next May’s local elections.
Trott has been MP for Sevenoaks in Kent since 2019 and served as number two in the Treasury under Jeremy Hunt when he was chancellor.
Neil O’Brien has been MP for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston since 2017 and was most recently a health minister. He resigned from Sunak’s government in November 2023 and took a more critical stance on the then-prime minister from the backbenches.
While Trott and Huddleston supported Badenoch in the leadership, O’Brien had supported her rival Jenrick.
He co-founded the investment firm Somerset Capital Management with former Conservative MP and minister Jacob Rees-Mogg in 2007.
A formal announcement of the full shadow cabinet is expected before its first meeting on Tuesday.
PA Mediae-0 cvNhQw”>Laura Trott has been an MP since 2019 and served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury in the Sunak government
Badenoch is expected to give a job to her leadership rival Jenrick, after she said in her victory speech that he has a “key role to play in our party for many years to come”.
Badenoch emphasized her desire for a “shadow cabinet that is meritocratic, that brings in a diverse field of experience, geographic diversity, and professional background.”
The current Labour government has 120 ministers, which may pose a challenge for the Tories to shadow all posts, given that they only have 121 MPs.
Former Home Secretary and defeated leadership candidate James Cleverly last week ruled out serving in the shadow cabinet, stating he has been “liberated” from 16 years on the political front line.
Former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, former Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, and former Environment Secretary Steve Barclay have also indicated they will return to the backbenches and not serve in the new shadow cabinet.
Kemi Badenoch has been named the new leader of the Conservative Party, winning 57% of the votes against Robert Jenrick. Following her leadership victory, she has begun appointing her top team in preparation for her first meeting of the shadow cabinet. Notably, Laura Trott has been appointed as the shadow education secretary, and Neil O’Brien serves as the shadow education minister. Both will represent their roles in the House of Commons for Education Questions later today.
Additionally, Nigel Huddleston and Lord Dominic Johnson have been selected as joint chairmen of the Conservative Party. This comes after the recent appointment of Dame Rebecca Harris as the Tory chief whip.
Badenoch, who was officially declared the winner on Saturday, expressed optimism about the Conservative Party returning to government within five years. She emphasized the importance of engaging with local Tories and regaining council seats in the upcoming local elections. Trott and O’Brien are seasoned MPs, and while Trott and Huddleston supported Badenoch during her leadership campaign, O’Brien had backed her rival Jenrick. A formal announcement detailing the full shadow cabinet is anticipated before their first meeting on Tuesday.