What is the shadow cabinet?

The Shadow Cabinet is the team of senior opposition MPs and peers chosen by the Leader of the Opposition to mirror the government's Cabinet. Each shadow minister follows a government department, challenges its policies and develops their party's own plans. It is a government in waiting.

The Official Opposition, the second largest party in the Commons, forms the main Shadow Cabinet. Its members include a Shadow Chancellor, Shadow Home Secretary, Shadow Foreign Secretary and others. They question ministers in the Commons, respond to statements and lead their party's media work. They also build policy for the next manifesto. Smaller parties name their own spokespeople, but these are not usually called a Shadow Cabinet. The Leader of the Opposition can reshuffle the Shadow Cabinet at any time. Serving in it is often a step towards a Cabinet job if the party wins power. Shadow ministers are not paid extra, except the Leader of the Opposition and some whips. Shadow ministers often work with small teams of researchers, funded partly by Short money.