| Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions | |
|---|---|
 IncumbentHelen Whately since 5 November 2024 | |
| Appointer | Leader of the Opposition |
| Inaugural holder | Michael Meacher |
| Formation | 2 November 1989 |
| Website | |
The Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is an office within British politics held by a member of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition. The duty of the office holder is to scrutinise the actions of the government's Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and develop alternative policies.
List of Shadow Secretaries
Shadow Secretary of State for Social Security | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Entered office | Left office | Political party | Shadow Cabinet | ||
| Michael Meacher
1939–2015 |
|
2 November 1989 | 18 July 1992 | Labour | Kinnock | |
| Donald Dewar
1937–2000 |
|
18 July 1992 | 19 October 1995 | Labour | Smith | |
| Beckett | ||||||
| Blair | ||||||
| Chris Smith
born 1951 |
|
19 October 1995 | 1 July 1996 | Labour | ||
| Harriet Harman
born 1950 |
|
1 July 1996 | 2 May 1997 | Labour | ||
| Peter Lilley
born 1943 |
|
2 May 1997 | 19 June 1997 | Conservative | Major | |
| Iain Duncan Smith
born 1954 |
|
19 June 1997 | 15 June 1999 | Conservative | Hague | |
| David Willetts
born 1956 |
|
15 June 1999 | 14 September 2001 | Conservative | ||
Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions | ||||||
| David Willetts
born 1956 |
|
14 September 2001 | 6 May 2005 | Conservative | Duncan Smith | |
| Howard | ||||||
| Malcolm Rifkind
born 1946 |
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|
6 May 2005 | 6 December 2005 | Conservative | ||
| Philip Hammond
born 1955 |
|
6 December 2005 | 2 July 2007 | Conservative | Cameron | |
| Chris Grayling
born 1962 |
|
2 July 2007 | 19 January 2009 | Conservative | ||
| Theresa May
born 1956 |
|
19 January 2009 | 11 May 2010 | Conservative | ||
| Yvette Cooper
born 1969 |
|
11 May 2010 | 8 October 2010 | Labour | Harman I | |
| Douglas Alexander
born 1967 |
|
8 October 2010 | 20 January 2011 | Labour | Miliband | |
| Liam Byrne
born 1970 |
|
20 January 2011 | 7 October 2013 | Labour | ||
| Rachel Reeves
born 1979 |
|
7 October 2013 | 8 June 2015 | Labour | ||
| Stephen Timms Acting born 1955 |
|
8 June 2015 | 13 September 2015 | Labour | Harman II | |
| Owen Smith
born 1970 |
|
14 September 2015 | 27 June 2016 | Labour | Corbyn | |
| Debbie Abrahams
born 1960 |
|
27 June 2016 | 11 March 2018 | Labour | ||
| Margaret Greenwood
born 1959 |
|
11 March 2018 | 6 April 2020 | Labour | ||
| Jonathan Reynolds
born 1980 |
|
6 April 2020 | 29 November 2021 | Labour & Co-op | Starmer | |
| Jonathan Ashworth
born 1978 |
|
29 November 2021 | 4 September 2023 | Labour & Co-op | ||
| Liz Kendall
born 1971 |
|
4 September 2023 | 5 July 2024 | Labour | ||
| Mel Stride
born 1961 |
|
8 July 2024 | 4 November 2024 | Conservative | Sunak | |
| Helen Whately
born 1976 |
|
5 November 2024 | Incumbent | Conservative | Badenoch | |