Working to make government more effective

Working to make government more effective

Rishi Sunak during a cabinet meeting at a factory in East Yorkshire

Shadow ministers

Shadow ministers provide parliamentary opposition to the government front bench.

Shadow ministers are members of the official opposition party who act as a ‘government in waiting’, scrutinising the work of their counterparts in government and developing policies that they would take forward if elected.

We look at who shadow ministers are, how they are appointed to their roles and the experience they bring to the job. We also look at how they can prepare for government.

The current shadow frontbench

20 MAY 2021 Explainer

Shadow cabinet

The shadow cabinet is made up of senior members of the main opposition party in Westminster who act as spokespeople for the opposition.

06 JUL 2024 Explainer

Official opposition

As the second largest party in the House of Commons, the Conservative party is the current official opposition.

Preparing a shadow ministerial team for office: Lessons from 1997 and 2010

What the last two changes of government tell us about effective transitions.

Read the report
No.10 Downing Street

How do shadow ministers prepare for government?

Support for opposition parties

Through the IfG Academy, we offer practical advice and support – based on IfG research – to opposition politicians and their teams, to help them think through the transition into government.

Find out more
Rishi Sunak's cabinet