Shadow Foreign Secretary
Encyclopedia
In British politics, the shadow foreign secretary is a position within the opposition's shadow cabinet that deals mainly with issues surrounding the Foreign Office; such things are relations with other nations, if elected, the designated person may be slated to become the new Foreign Secretary.
Official Opposition
| Name | Portrait | Entered office | Left office | Political party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfred Robens Alfred Robens, Baron Robens of Woldingham Alfred Robens, Baron Robens of Woldingham CBE PC was an English trade unionist, Labour politician and industrialist... |
14 December 1955 | 22 July 1956 | Labour | ||
| Aneurin Bevan Aneurin Bevan Aneurin "Nye" Bevan was a British Labour Party politician who was the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1959 until his death in 1960. The son of a coal miner, Bevan was a lifelong champion of social justice and the rights of working people... |
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22 July 1956 | 11 October 1959 | Labour | |
| Denis Healey Denis Healey Denis Winston Healey, Baron Healey CH, MBE, PC is a British Labour politician, who served as Secretary of State for Defence from 1964 to 1970 and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1974 to 1979.-Early life:... |
11 October 1959 | 2 November 1961 | Labour | ||
| Harold Wilson Harold Wilson James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the... |
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2 November 1961 | 14 February 1963 | Labour | |
| Patrick Gordon Walker Patrick Gordon Walker Patrick Chrestien Gordon Walker, Baron Gordon-Walker CH, PC was a British Labour Party politician. He was a Member of Parliament for nearly thirty years, and served twice as a Cabinet minister... |
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14 February 1963 | 15 October 1964 | Labour | |
| R. A. Butler Rab Butler Richard Austen Butler, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden, KG CH DL PC , who invariably signed his name R. A. Butler and was familiarly known as Rab, was a British Conservative politician... |
15 October 1964 | 27 July 1965 | Conservative | ||
| Reginald Maudling Reginald Maudling Reginald Maudling was a British politician who held several Cabinet posts, including Chancellor of the Exchequer. He had been spoken of as a prospective Conservative leader since 1955, and was twice seriously considered for the post; he was Edward Heath's chief rival in 1965... |
27 July 1965 | 11 November 1965 | Conservative | ||
| Christopher Soames Christopher Soames, Baron Soames Arthur Christopher John Soames, Baron Soames, GCMG, GCVO, CH, CBE, PC was a British politician belonging to the Conservative Party and the son-in-law of Winston Churchill. A European Commissioner and the last Governor of Southern Rhodesia, he had previously been the longtime Member of Parliament... |
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11 November 1965 | 13 April 1966 | Conservative | |
| Alec Douglas-Home Alec Douglas-Home Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel, KT, PC , known as The Earl of Home from 1951 to 1963 and as Sir Alec Douglas-Home from 1963 to 1974, was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1963 to October 1964.He is the last... |
13 April 1966 | 18 June 1970 | Conservative | ||
| Denis Healey Denis Healey Denis Winston Healey, Baron Healey CH, MBE, PC is a British Labour politician, who served as Secretary of State for Defence from 1964 to 1970 and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1974 to 1979.-Early life:... |
20 June 1970 | 19 April 1972 | Labour | ||
| James Callaghan James Callaghan Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC , was a British Labour politician, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980... |
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19 April 1972 | 28 February 1974 | Labour | |
| Geoffrey Rippon Geoffrey Rippon Geoffrey Frederick Rippon, Baron Rippon of Hexham, PC, was a British Conservative politician. He was Chairman of the European-Atlantic Group.... |
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28 February 1974 | 11 February 1975 | Conservative | |
| Reginald Maudling Reginald Maudling Reginald Maudling was a British politician who held several Cabinet posts, including Chancellor of the Exchequer. He had been spoken of as a prospective Conservative leader since 1955, and was twice seriously considered for the post; he was Edward Heath's chief rival in 1965... |
11 February 1975 | 11 April 1976 | Conservative | ||
| John Davies John Davies (businessman) John Emerson Harding Harding-Davies, MBE, PC was a successful British businessman who served as Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry during the 1960s... |
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11 April 1976 | 6 November 1978 | Conservative | |
| Francis Pym Francis Pym -Bibliography:****- External links :... |
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6 November 1978 | 4 May 1979 | Conservative | |
| Peter Shore Peter Shore Peter David Shore, Baron Shore of Stepney PC was a British Labour politician and former Cabinet Minister, noted in part for his opposition to the United Kingdom's entry into the European Economic Community. His idiosyncratic left-wing nationalism led to comparison with the French politician... |
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4 May 1979 | 8 December 1980 | Labour | |
| Denis Healey Denis Healey Denis Winston Healey, Baron Healey CH, MBE, PC is a British Labour politician, who served as Secretary of State for Defence from 1964 to 1970 and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1974 to 1979.-Early life:... |
8 December 1980 | 13 June 1987 | Labour | ||
| Gerald Kaufman Gerald Kaufman Sir Gerald Bernard Kaufman is a British Labour Party politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 1970, first for Manchester Ardwick, and then subsequently for Manchester Gorton... |
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13 June 1987 | 24 July 1992 | Labour | |
| Jack Cunningham Jack Cunningham John "Jack" Anderson Cunningham, Baron Cunningham of Felling, PC, DL is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Copeland from 1983 to 2005, and previously served in the Cabinet.-Early life:... |
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24 July 1992 | 20 October 1994 | Labour | |
| Robin Cook Robin Cook Robert Finlayson Cook was a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Livingston from 1983 until his death, and notably served in the Cabinet as Foreign Secretary from 1997 to 2001.... |
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20 October 1994 | 2 May 1997 | Labour | |
| John Major John Major Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997... |
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7 May 1997 | 11 June 1997 | Conservative | |
| Michael Howard Michael Howard Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne, CH, QC, PC is a British politician, who served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005... |
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11 June 1997 | 15 June 1999 | Conservative | |
| John Maples John Maples John Cradock Maples, Baron Maples is British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as a Member of Parliament representing Lewisham West from 1982 to 1992 and Stratford-upon-Avon from 1997 to 2010... |
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15 June 1999 | 2 February 2000 | Conservative | |
| Francis Maude Francis Maude Francis Anthony Aylmer Maude is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he currently serves as the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, and as a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Horsham... |
2 February 2000 | 18 September 2001 | Conservative | ||
| Michael Ancram Michael Ancram Michael Andrew Foster Jude Kerr, 13th Marquess of Lothian, PC, QC , known as Michael Ancram, is a United Kingdom Conservative Party politician. He is a member of the House of Lords, former Member of Parliament, and a former member of the Shadow Cabinet... |
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18 September 2001 | 10 May 2005 | Conservative | |
| Liam Fox Liam Fox Liam Fox MP is a British Conservative politician, Member of Parliament for North Somerset, and former Secretary of State for Defence.... |
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10 May 2005 | 6 December 2005 | Conservative | |
| William Hague William Hague William Jefferson Hague is the British Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party from June 1997 to September 2001... |
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6 December 2005 | 11 May 2010 | Conservative | |
| David Miliband David Miliband David Wright Miliband is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South Shields since 2001, and was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He is the elder son of the late Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband... |
11 May 2010 | 8 October 2010 | Labour | ||
| Yvette Cooper Yvette Cooper Yvette Cooper is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford since 2010, having previously been MP for Pontefract and Castleford since 1997. She served in the Cabinet between 2008 and 2010. She is the Shadow Home Secretary... |
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8 October 2010 | 20 January 2011 | Labour | |
| Douglas Alexander Douglas Alexander Douglas Garven Alexander is a British Labour Party politician, who is currently the Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in the shadow cabinet of Ed Miliband. He has held cabinet posts under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including Secretary of State for Scotland and... |
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20 January 2011 | Incumbent | Labour |
Liberal Democrats
| Name | Title(s) | Tenure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menzies Campbell Menzies Campbell Sir Walter Menzies "Ming" Campbell, CBE, QC, MP is a British Liberal Democrat politician and advocate, and a retired sprinter. He is the Member of Parliament for North East Fife, and was the Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2 March 2006 until 15 October 2007.Campbell held the British record... CBE QC MP |
Frontbench Spokespeople for Foreign Affairs, Defence & Europe | May 1997 – August 1999 | |
| The Rt Hon Menzies Campbell CBE QC MP | Deputy Leader and Shadow Foreign Secretary | August 1999 – March 2006 | |
| Michael Moore Michael Moore (UK politician) Michael Kevin Moore is a British Liberal Democrat politician, currently the Secretary of State for Scotland in the UK coalition government, and the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk.... MP |
Shadow Foreign Secretary | March 2006 – December 2007 | |
| Ed Davey Edward Davey Edward Jonathan "Ed" Davey is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for Kingston and Surbiton since 1997, and in May 2010 was appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills... MP |
December 2007 – May 2010 | ||
| Since May 2010, there has been no third party, the Liberal Democrats Liberal Democrats The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the... being the junior party in a coalition government |
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