Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The shadow secretary of state for health and social care is an office within British politics held by a member of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition. The duty of the office holder is to scrutinise the actions of the government's secretary of state for health and social care and develop alternative policies. The office holder is a member of the Shadow Cabinet and appointed by the leader of the opposition.

Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Incumbent Ed Argar since 5 November 2024
Appointer	Leader of the Opposition
Inaugural holder	Shirley Williams
Formation	19 June 1970
Website	The Shadow Cabinet

It is currently held by Ed Argar.

List of shadow secretaries of state for health

Name			Entered office	Left office	Political party	Leader of the Opposition	Notes	Ref
	Shirley Williams		19 June 1970	19 October 1971	Labour		Later SDP Founder and Liberal Democrats Leader in House of Lords
	Barbara Castle		19 October 1971	24 March 1972			Later Secretary of State for Health and Social Services
	John Silkin		24 March 1972	4 March 1974
	Keith Joseph		4 March 1974	11 March 1974	Conservative		Former Secretary of State for Health and Social Services (1970–1974)
	Geoffrey Howe		11 March 1974	18 February 1975
	Norman Fowler		18 February 1975	19 November 1976
	Patrick Jenkin		19 November 1976	4 May 1979
	David Ennals		4 May 1979	14 June 1979	Labour		Former Secretary of State for Health and Social Services (1976–1979)
	Stanley Orme		14 June 1979	8 December 1980			[1]
	Gwyneth Dunwoody		8 December 1980	31 October 1983
	Michael Meacher		31 October 1983	13 July 1987
	Robin Cook		13 July 1987	18 July 1992			[2]
	David Blunkett		18 July 1992	20 October 1994			[3]
	Margaret Beckett		20 October 1994	19 October 1995			[4]
	Harriet Harman		19 October 1995	1 July 1996			[5]
	Chris Smith		1 July 1996	2 May 1997
	Stephen Dorrell		2 May 1997	11 June 1997	Conservative		Former Secretary of State for Health (1995–1997)
	John Maples		11 June 1997	1 June 1998				[6][7]
	Ann Widdecombe		1 June 1998	13 January 1999				[8]
	Liam Fox		13 January 1999	6 November 2003				[9]
	Tim Yeo		6 November 2003	19 June 2004			Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Education	[10]
	Andrew Lansley		19 June 2004	12 May 2010			Later Secretary of State for Health (2010–2012)	[11][12]
	Andy Burnham		12 May 2010	8 October 2010	Labour		Former Secretary of State for Health (2009–2010)
	John Healey		8 October 2010	6 October 2011
	Andy Burnham		7 October 2011	13 September 2015			Former Secretary of State for Health (2009–2010)
	Heidi Alexander		13 September 2015	26 June 2016
	Diane Abbott		27 June 2016	6 October 2016		Jeremy Corbyn (Shadow Cabinet)		[13]
	Jonathan Ashworth		7 October 2016	29 November 2021		Keir Starmer (Shadow Cabinet)	Shadow Secretary of State for Health (2016–2020) Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (2020-2021)	[14]
	Wes Streeting		29 November 2021	5 July 2024				[15]
	Victoria Atkins		8 July 2024	5 November 2024	Conservative	Rishi Sunak (Shadow Cabinet)	Former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in Rishi Sunak's Administration, (2023-2024)
	Ed Argar		5 November 2024	Incumbent		Kemi Badenoch (Shadow Cabinet)	Shadow Secretary of State for Justice (2024) Shadow Lord Chancellor (2024)

References

1. "Parliamentary career for Lord Orme". Parliament of the United Kingdom.
2. "Former minister Robin Cook dies". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 6 August 2005. Retrieved 29 September 2008.
3. Brown, Colin (21 March 2005). "David Blunkett: 'I'd like to come back but I have to earn it. That means the graft of getting round the country'". The Independent. London: Independent News & Media. Retrieved 29 September 2008.
4. "Hunting a second term". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 7 December 2000. Retrieved 29 September 2008.
5. "Politics 97; Harriet Harman". BBC Political Research Unit. British Broadcasting Corporation. 1997. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
6. "John Maples; Biographical details". Ask Aristotle. London: guardian.co.uk. Archived from the original on 13 November 2005. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
7. Maples, John. "John Maples: Political Biography". John Maples. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
8. "Opposition front bench team as at 5 June 1998". House of Commons Weekly Information Bulletin. Parliament of the United Kingdom. 6 June 1998. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
9. "Opposition front bench team". House of Commons Weekly Information Bulletin. Parliament of the United Kingdom. 19 June 1999. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
10. "Tim Yeo; Biographical details". Ask Aristotle. London: guardian.co.uk. Archived from the original on 13 May 2008. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
11. "House of Commons Weekly Information Bulletin Noticeboard". House of Commons Weekly Information Bulletin. Parliament of the United Kingdom. 19 June 2004. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
12. "Her Majesty's Official Opposition". Parliament of the United Kingdom. 7 October 2008. Archived from the original on 20 October 2008. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
13. Turnbull, Alex (27 June 2016). "Diane Abbott appointed shadow health secretary". www.independentnurse.co.uk. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
14. Jamie Grierson; Anushka Asthana (27 June 2016). "Jeremy Corbyn unveils new shadow cabinet after raft of resignations". The Guardian.
15. Launder, Mimi (30 November 2021). "Wes Streeting appointed as shadow health secretary in reshuffle". Nursing in Practice. Retrieved 16 June 2022.