Cameron Shadow Cabinet | |
|---|---|
 Shadow Cabinet of theUnited Kingdom | |
| 2005 –2010 | |
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| Date formed | 6 December 2005 |
| Date dissolved | 11 May 2010 |
| People and organisations | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Leader of the Opposition | David Cameron |
| DeputyLeader of the Opposition | William Hague |
| Member party | |
| Status in legislature | Official Opposition 198 / 650 (30%) |
| History | |
| Election | 2005 Conservative leadership election |
| Outgoing election | 2010 general election |
| Legislature terms | 54th UK Parliament |
| Outgoing formation | 2010 government formation |
| Predecessor | Howard shadow cabinet |
| Successor | First Harman shadow cabinet |
David Cameron wasLeader of the Conservative Party andLeader of the Opposition from hiselection as Leader on 6 December 2005 until he becamePrime Minister on11 May 2010. His tenure as opposition leader was characterised by opposition to theGreat Recession from 2007 to 2009, and his relative youth and inexperience before becoming leader invited satirical comparison withTony Blair. Cameron sought to rebrandthe Conservatives, embracing an increasingly socially liberal position, and introducing the "A-List" to increase the number of female andminority ethnic Conservative MPs.
Cameron had fourShadow Cabinets during his tenure as opposition leader. His Shadow Cabinet appointments included MPs associated with the various wings of the party. Former leaderWilliam Hague was appointed to the Foreign Affairs brief, while bothGeorge Osborne and David Davis were retained, asShadow Chancellor of the Exchequer andShadow Home Secretary respectively. Hague, assisted by Davis, stood in for Cameron during hispaternity leave in February 2006. In June 2008, Davis announced his intention toresign as an MP, and was immediately replaced as Shadow Home Secretary byDominic Grieve; Davis' surprise move was seen as a challenge to the changes introduced under Cameron's leadership.
Under Cameron, the Conservatives made gains in the2006 local elections, and made further gains in the2007 and2008 local elections. With the onset of the Great Recession leading to theLabour government underGordon Brown taking the blame from a worseningeconomic climate, soaringunemployment and theexpenses scandal, the Conservatives made significant gains in thelocal andEuropean elections in 2009.
Following the2010 general election, Cameron became prime minister at the head of acoalition government between the Conservatives and theLiberal Democrats, as no party had gained an overall majority in theHouse of Commons for the first time since theFebruary 1974 general election. One of the first decisions he made as prime minister was the appointment ofNick Clegg, theleader of the Liberal Democrats, asdeputy prime minister.
| Official Opposition |
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| Liberal Democrats | |
| Scottish National Party | |
1964 to Present | |
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