Shadow Cabinet

The Shadow Cabinet is a feature of the Westminster system of government. It comprises a senior group of opposition spokespeople who, under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition, form an alternative cabinet to that of the government, and whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the Cabinet. Members of a shadow cabinet are often but not always appointed to a Cabinet post if and when their party gets into government. It is the Shadow Cabinet's responsibility to criticise the policies and actions of the government, as well as offering an alternative program.

In most countries, a member of the shadow cabinet is referred to as a Shadow Minister. In Canada, however, the term Opposition Critic is more usual. In the United Kingdom's House of Lords and in New Zealand, the term "spokesperson" is used instead of "shadow".

History

The first shadow cabinet was instituted by UK leader of the opposition Hugh Gaitskell in 1951 to assist in opposing the policies of the government of Winston Churchill.

Shadow Cabinet (Scottish Parliament)

Unlike the Westminster arrangement where there is an 'Official Opposition' to the government of the day, there is no such thing as an 'official' opposition to the Scottish Government. Instead, all parties that are not in government are merely 'opposition parties'. With the current Scottish Government being Scottish National Party (SNP), the three other main parties are all opposition parties and each will have a Shadow Cabinet composed of Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) with a responsibility to shadow a government minister or area of government.

Labour Shadow Cabinet

The Scottish Labour front-bench team was announced on 19th August 2015.

Official Opposition (New Zealand)

The Official Opposition in New Zealand is usually the largest political party or coalition which is not a member of the ruling government. This means that the political party, while still involved with the political process in New Zealand, they do not have ministers or their supporters in a position of power. This is usually the second-largest party in a legislative house, although in certain unusual circumstances it may be the largest party (due to a larger Government bloc) or even a third or fourth party.

The Opposition aims to hold the government accountable and to present itself to the electorate as a credible government in waiting. For example, during Question Time, Opposition spokespersons will ask questions of Ministers with the aim of highlighting a weakness or embarrassing the government. Oppositions also engage in Parliamentary gestures such as refusal to grant confidence or voting down the Budget; however, as most governments comfortably retain the Parliamentary majority necessary to preserve confidence and supply, such gestures are largely symbolic.