Badenoch reshuffles shadow cabinet ahead of October conference

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has carried out a significant reshuffle of her shadow cabinet, replacing shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride with Andrew Griffith and appointing Tom Tugendhat as shadow foreign secretary. The overhaul, announced on August 31, 2026, comes ahead of the party's conference in October and follows the departure of several senior figures.

The most prominent change is the replacement of Sir Mel Stride, who had served as shadow chancellor for nearly two years. Andrew Griffith, the former shadow business and trade secretary, now takes over the key economic brief. A senior Conservative source stated that Badenoch 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." Griffith pledged to deliver "lower, simpler taxes" and "get Britain drilling again to bring down energy costs."

Sir Mel Stride described his tenure as a "great honour" and said he looked forward to contributing from the backbenches. Badenoch paid tribute to his work, stating he "helped us steady the ship, rebuild economic credibility and become an...