Sir Mel Stride and Dame Priti Patel have departed the shadow cabinet as part of a significant reshuffle of the Conservative frontbench by leader Kemi Badenoch.
Andrew Griffith will succeed Sir Mel as shadow chancellor, while Tom Tugendhat will take over from Dame Priti as shadow foreign secretary.
Badenoch is assembling a new shadow cabinet ahead of the party’s conference in October.
Claire Coutinho, who previously served as shadow energy secretary, will step in for Griffith as shadow business secretary following her maternity leave and will also act as his deputy during the ongoing shake-up.
Badenoch paid tribute to Sir Mel’s tenure as shadow chancellor, stating that he helped the party rebuild its economic credibility and become an effective opposition.
A senior Conservative source said: “Kemi is changing the way the Conservative Party approaches economic policy and creating a new economic leadership team for the next phase, focused on growth, higher living standards and fiscal credibility.”
Sir Mel, who was appointed to the role following Badenoch’s leadership victory in 2024, described his time in the senior Conservative position as a “great honour”.
“I am now looking forward to continuing to make a real contribution to the Conservative team in Parliament and beyond, to build and amplify our vision for Britain, from the back benches.”
Incoming shadow chancellor Griffith pledged that the Conservatives would deliver “an economic revolution” by cutting taxes, resuming domestic drilling to reduce energy costs, slashing red tape, and reversing Labour’s Employment Rights Act.
“The Conservatives will always back the risk-takers and wealth creators who deliver growth, investment and jobs,” he said.
A senior Conservative source described Griffith as a “no-nonsense, pro-growth shadow chancellor with real business experience”.
Before becoming MP for Arundel and South Downs in 2019, he held senior executive roles at Sky and served as chairman of Just Eat.
While serving as a Treasury minister, Griffith defended Liz Truss’s 2022 mini-budget. He also held the position of city minister, overseeing financial services policy.
Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper responded: “Griffith helped deliver the Truss mini-budget that sent mortgages soaring and the economy into turmoil.
“It’s clear Conservatives haven’t learned a thing. His appointment to shadow chancellor shows they’re happy to forfeit any claim to economic credibility in their race to the bottom with Reform UK.”
Dame Priti, who had served as shadow foreign secretary since 2024, said she would take on a new international role focused on strengthening the party’s relationships with sister parties and centre-right movements abroad.
Badenoch will also need to appoint a new shadow health secretary after Stuart Andrew confirmed he will return to the backbenches.
On Saturday, Sir James Cleverly resigned from the front bench to pursue a bid for London mayor.
