Kemi Badenoch Appoints Andrew Griffith as Shadow Chancellor

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch overhauled her shadow cabinet on September 1, 2026, to reset the party's economic message and sharpen its political identity before the October party conference. The reshuffle aims to prioritize private-sector experience and economic growth to counter challenges from Reform UK and recover from the 2024 election defeat.

As part of the changes, Badenoch appointed Andrew Griffith as shadow chancellor, replacing Mel Stride. Griffith, a former Sky executive and Just Eat chairman, previously served as a Treasury minister under former Prime Minister Liz Truss and was a key architect of the September 2022 mini-budget. Upon his appointment, Griffith vowed to lead an "economic revolution" focused on lower taxes, reduced regulation, and increased domestic drilling to lower energy costs.

The appointment drew criticism from Labour Chief Treasury Secretary Emma Reynolds, who noted that Griffith's previous role in the 2022 mini-budget left families paying the price. Conversely, Liz Truss praised the move, arguing that the economic establishment has failed Britain. Badenoch praised outgoing members like Mel Stride for helping "steady the ship" and rebuilding economic credibility.

Other frontbench changes include Tom Tugendhat replacing Priti Patel as shadow foreign secretary and Katie Lam replacing James Cleverly as shadow housing secretary, as Cleverly stepped down to campaign for mayor of London. Claire Coutinho was named shadow business secretary and Harriet Cross became shadow secretary of state for Scotland.