Cameron and Campbell reshuffle their teams

5 Jul 07
Opposition parties reacted to Gordon Brown's Cabinet and departmental changes this week by rearranging their own frontbench teams.

06 July 2007

Opposition parties reacted to Gordon Brown's Cabinet and departmental changes this week by rearranging their own frontbench teams.

Conservative leader David Cameron gave the Communities and Local Government portfolio to party stalwart Eric Pickles, moving previous incumbent Caroline Spelman to the role of party chair.

Former education spokesman David Willetts shadows the new Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, while a newcomer to the shadow Cabinet, former Times journalist Michael Gove, takes on the Children, Schools and Families job.

Two other MPs from the 2005 Tory intake enter the shadow Cabinet, with Nick Herbert taking on the Justice brief and Jeremy Hunt shadowing Culture, Media and Sport. Francis Maude, formerly party chair, becomes shadow minister for the Cabinet Office.

Cameron also elevated two women to the House of Lords to advise on key policy areas. Former intelligence boss Dame Pauline Neville-Jones becomes a shadow security minister and Cameron's national security adviser; Sayeeda Warsi, a party vice-chair, will join the shadow Cabinet as community cohesion spokeswoman.

Cameron said: 'These changes strengthen the shadow Cabinet team and harness new talent within the party as we prepare for the next general election.'

The Liberal Democrats, too, made adjustments to their frontbench team. David Laws was moved from Work and Pensions to Children, Schools and Families; Danny Alexander inherits Laws' DWP brief. Sarah Teather takes on Innovation, Universities and Skills; and Norman Baker returns to the LibDem frontbench shadowing the Cabinet Office brief.

Party leader Menzies Campbell said: 'We are fortunate in having some of the brightest and most able people in the House of Commons. I am confident they will continue to hold the government to account.'

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