- Kemi Badenoch has made sweeping changes to the shadow cabinet, axing her shadow chancellor and kicking off the return of her top team to take on Andy Burnham and Reform UK.
- Andrew Griffith, former chief financial officer and chief operating officer of Sky and chair of Just Eat, is brought into the top team.
- Claire Coutinho, a rising star and fierce opponent to Ed Miliband, has been shifted to Badenoch's economic unit and made shadow business secretary.
- Julia Lopez will cover for Coutinho while she is on maternity leave until the new year.
- Griffith was a backer of Liz Truss and as her treasury minister was partially responsible for the disastrous mini-budget which caused economic chaos.
- Griffith attended the launch of a climate denial group with Truss and Nigel Farage, but said his attendance did not imply endorsement.
- Claire Coutinho is known for her research on the hidden cost of net zero and has spoken up for whistleblowers at the national energy systems operator.
- Coutinho became the first person to represent a political party at PMQs while pregnant earlier this year.
Kemi Badenoch has launched a major reshuffle of her Conservative shadow cabinet, aiming to bolster her team against Andy Burnham and Reform UK. The reshuffle includes the dismissal of shadow chancellor Mel Stride and the appointment of Andrew Griffith and Claire Coutinho.1235678
Griffith, who has long desired the shadow chancellor position, is known for his loyalty to Badenoch and was an early supporter of her leadership bid in 2024. He previously served as a treasury minister under Liz Truss, where he faced criticism for his role in the controversial mini-budget that led to economic turmoil. Despite this, he defended the budget, attributing the chaos to global factors.
Coutinho, recognized as a rising star within the party, has been appointed as shadow business secretary. She previously shadowed Ed Miliband and has been vocal about the hidden costs associated with net zero policies. Notably, she made headlines earlier this year as the first person to represent a political party at PMQs while pregnant. During her maternity leave, Julia Lopez will temporarily take over her responsibilities.4
Badenoch's reshuffle also reflects her intent to purge what she terms the more “woke” elements from the party, as evidenced by her decision to appoint Tom Tugendhat as shadow foreign secretary, replacing Priti Patel. Tugendhat's experience in foreign affairs is expected to strengthen the party's stance in upcoming debates.
“Andrew Griffith, a former Sky CFO and Just Eat chair, previously backed Liz Truss and was partially responsible for the disastrous mini-budget. Claire Coutinho, now shadow business secretary, became the first person to represent a party at PMQs while pregnant earlier this year.”
The Guardian
