Among the long list of appointments, Great Offices roles were allocated to MPs including Priti Patel (shadow foreign secretary), Mel Stride (shadow chancellor), and Chris Philp (shadow home secretary) - the latter being an avid supporter of Badenoch’s leadership campaign.
The MPs chosen represent a range of political views held within today’s Conservative party, from centrists such as Victoria Atkins (shadow environment, food and rural affairs secretary) to those on the right of the party such as Dominic Johnson (co-chair of the party).
While many of the shadow cabinet members have had uncontentious careers, some MPs such as Priti Patel, Gareth Bacon (transport), and Robert Jenrick (justice) have faced controversies in the past, ranging from bullying to conflicts of interest.
Badenoch's shadow cabinet does not represent the various educational routes on offer.
Badenoch has been at the centre of several controversies herself, including the Guardian’s accusations that she bullied officials when she worked under Sunak; backlash for her comments about civil servants; stating that she doesn’t ‘believe in cultural relativism’; and making claims that, as a teen, she experienced being working class as she worked her part time job.
Following the notable theme of Badenoch’s supporters being rewarded, Laura Trott who was a vocal promoter of Badenoch’s leadership campaign has been named Shadow Education Secretary. She has previously attended cabinet under Sunak and worked under Johnson. She has replaced Damian Hinds, who had worked in the role since July.
A civil servant working in the Department for Education said that “whatever way you look at it, it’s exciting to have a young female in a profile role, even if shadow. However ... she went to Oxford, continuing the tradition of having little diversity in cabinet." Gillian Keegan, who was education secretary until July 2024, is from a working-class background and was an apprentice. But with the appointment of an Oxford graduate, it seems that the role of education secretary within the Conservative party is shifting back towards a traditional view of education, when education itself is diversifying; students can choose between T-Levels, A-levels, apprenticeships, and other post-16 options, and Badenoch's shadow cabinet does not represent the various educational routes on offer.
