Badenoch reshuffles UK Conservative frontbench ahead of Parliament return
UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has appointed Andrew Griffith as shadow chancellor and Tom Tugendhat as shadow foreign secretary in a frontbench reshuffle that mixes party centrists and right-wing figures.
In short
- UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has appointed Andrew Griffith as shadow chancellor and Tom Tugendhat as shadow foreign secretary in a frontbench reshuffle that mixes party centrists and right-wing figures.
UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has reshaped her opposition frontbench as Parliament returns, appointing Andrew Griffith as shadow chancellor and Tom Tugendhat as shadow foreign secretary.
Griffith replaces Mel Stride and will head a new economic unit alongside shadow City minister Richard Fuller. Claire Coutinho is due to take over Griffith’s previous shadow business brief after parental leave and serve as his deputy in the economic team.
Tugendhat, a former Conservative leadership contender, replaces Priti Patel in the foreign-affairs post. Badenoch also appointed Katie Lam as shadow communities secretary after James Cleverly left the frontbench to seek the Conservative nomination for London mayor.
Other changes include Damian Hinds taking the shadow health brief, Andrew Bowie moving to energy and Harriet Cross becoming shadow Scotland secretary. The appointments bring together figures associated with different wings of the party as Conservatives seek to strengthen their team before the coming political season.
The reshuffle comes as Badenoch prepares to face Prime Minister Andy Burnham at Prime Minister’s Questions on September 2, 2026. The Guardian reported that Conservative strategists see the changes as part of preparations for a possible early election, although no election has been announced.
