Liberal Democrat Frontbench Team

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The Liberal Democrats are the third-largest political party in the United Kingdom. The Liberal Democrat leader appoints a team of Members of Parliament (MPs) and Peers to speak for the party on different issues. Their areas of responsibility broadly correspond to those of Government ministers. The party calls its frontbench the Liberal Democrat shadow ministerial team. The shadow ministerial team are divided into departmental sub-units, such as Education, Health and Foreign Affairs. The leader of each departmental team is a member of the Liberal Democrat 'Shadow Cabinet'.

Contents 1 Status 2 Liberal Democrat Frontbench Team 2.1 Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet 2.2 Other members of the House of Commons Liberal Democrat Frontbench Team 2.3 Liberal Democrat House of Lords Frontbench Team 3 References 4 See also 5 External links

[edit] Status

Formerly, the Liberal Democrats frontbench team did not use the term 'Shadow Cabinet', with a number of front bench spokespeople covering areas (e.g., Defence and Foreign Affairs) rather than directly shadowing specific Cabinet portfolios. Under Charles Kennedy's leadership, and with the increase in numbers of Liberal Democrat MPs, the senior members of the front bench team referred to themselves as a Shadow Cabinet, although (in UK politics) this is a constitutional body appointed by the Crown, whose membership comprises senior members of the front bench team of the largest opposition party in the House of Commons.

Following Charles Kennedy's decision to change the nomenclature, the UK Parliament's website now uses the term 'Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet' and does not use the old term Frontbench Team.^[1][2]

However, this is not without contention and is disputed by the Conservative Party. Gordon Brown also made a notable remark that in the House of Commons:

"The House of Commons is in the unique position of having two shadow Chancellors: one sits in Folkestone and the other in Truro. It is rather like the mediaeval papacy: two hon. Members claim to hold the position of shadow Chancellor. I shall organise a play-off during the year."^[3]

This is a theme to which Gordon Brown has returned recently, comparing and contrasting his frosty relationship with the official Shadow Chancellor George Osborne with his apparently warm relationship with Vince Cable (whom he refers to as 'the Shadow Chancellor from Twickenham').

The official Shadow Cabinet (currently formed by the Conservative Party) receives support for its official function which are denied to the Liberal Democrats, although they, along with every parliamentary party, do receive Short money. Salaries are paid to the Opposition Leader and the Chief Whips but not to the leader of the Liberal Democrats. Moreover, the constitutionial Shadow Cabinet has the exclusive use of facilities within Parliament (including the use of a Shadow Cabinet block of offices, Shadow Cabinet meeting rooms and a suite of offices for the Opposition Leader). There is a great deal of resistance within Parliament to conferring 'Shadow' titles to the third party^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Liberal Democrat Frontbench Team

[edit] Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet

• Leader of the Liberal Democrats - Sir Walter Menzies Campbell, CBE, QC
• Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader, Shadow Chancellor - Vincent Cable
• Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary - Michael Moore
• Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary - Nick Clegg
• Liberal Democrat Shadow Defence Secretary - Nick Harvey
• Liberal Democrat Shadow Leader of the House and Minister for the Cabinet Office - David Heath
• Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords - Lord McNally
• Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment & Rural Affairs Secretary - Chris Huhne
• Liberal Democrat Party President, Shadow Attorney General and Department for Constitutional Affairs - Simon Hughes
• Liberal Democrat Shadow Trade and Industry Secretary - Susan Kramer
• Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary - Norman Lamb
• Liberal Democrat Shadow Education and Skills Secretary - Sarah Teather
• Liberal Democrat Shadow International Development Secretary - Lynne Featherstone
• Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Transport - Alistair Carmichael
• Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary for Work and Pensions - David Laws
• Liberal Democrat Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary - Don Foster
• Liberal Democrat Shadow Welsh Secretary and Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary - Lembit Öpik
• Liberal Democrat Shadow Scottish Secretary - Jo Swinson
• Liberal Democrat Shadow Treasury Secretary - Julia Goldsworthy
• Liberal Democrat Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary - Andrew Stunell
• Liberal Democrat Chief Whip in the Lords - Lord Shutt
• Chief of Staff - Edward Davey
• Chair of the Election Manifesto Team - Steve Webb
• Chair of the Parliamentary Party - Paul Holmes
• Chief Whip - Paul Burstow

It should be noted that while these are the positions defined by the Liberal Democrats, many sections of the media, and political opponents continue to refer to members of the Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet as spokespeople (for example Defence spokesperson rather than Liberal Democrat Shadow Defence Secretary)

[edit] Other members of the House of Commons Liberal Democrat Frontbench Team

• Treasury - Colin Breed
• Foreign Affairs - Jeremy Browne
• Home Affairs - Mark Hunter
• DEFRA Team - Martin Horwood (Environment), Roger Williams (Rural Affairs)
• Health - John Pugh, Sandra Gidley
• Transport - Paul Rowen, John Leech
• Trade and Industry - Lorely Burt (Small Business), David Howarth (Energy)
• Women and Equality - Lorely Burt
• Defence - Bob Russell, Willie Rennie
• Work and Pensions - Danny Alexander
• Northern Ireland and Wales Team - Alan Reid
• Office of the Deputy Prime Minister - Dan Rogerson
• Scotland Team - John Barrett
• Education - Stephen Williams (Further and Higher Education), Greg Mulholland (Schools)
• Deputy Whips - Adrian Sanders, Jenny Willott
• Children and the Family - Annette Brooke
• Young People - Jenny Willott
• Disability Issues - Danny Alexander
• Science - Dr Evan Harris
• London - Lynne Featherstone
• Leader's Parliamentary Private Secretary - Tim Farron

[edit] Liberal Democrat House of Lords Frontbench Team

Liberal Democrat peers are also organised into teams broadly corresponding to the areas of Government departments.

• Leader - Lord McNally
• Deputy Leaders - Lord Dholakia and Lord Wallace of Saltaire
• Chief Whip - Lord Shutt of Greetland
• Home Office - Lord Dholakia
• Shadow Lord Chancellor - Lord Goodhart
• Foreign Office - Lord Wallace of Saltair
• Europe - Lord Dykes
• Defence - Lord Garden
• International Development - Baroness Northover, Lord Roberts of Llandudno
• Culture, Media & Sport - Lord Clement-Jones, Baroness Bonham-Carter
• Health - Baroness Barker
• Environment, Food & Rural Affairs - Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer
• Northern Ireland - Lord Smith of Clifton
• Trade and Industry - Lord Razzall

[edit] References

1. ^ Directory of MPs, Peers, Offices and Overseas Delegations (en). House of Commons Information Office. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
2. ^ Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet and Parliamentary Team (en). House of Commons Information Office. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
3. ^ House of Commons Hansard Debates for 27 Nov 2001 (pt 8) (en). The Stationery Office Ltd (2001). Retrieved on 2006-09-04.

[edit] See also

• Cabinet of the United Kingdom
• Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (UK)

[edit] External links

• Liberal Democrat Frontbench Team
• Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet
• Campbell fills top Lib Dem posts (BBC)