View source for Shadow Home Secretary

{{Short description|British interior spokesperson of the official opposition}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox Political post
|post           = Shadow Home Secretary
|image          = Official portrait of Chris Philp MP, 2024.jpg
|incumbent      = [[Chris Philp]]
|incumbentsince = 5 November 2024
|appointer      = [[Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)|Leader of the Opposition]]
|inaugural      = [[Kenneth Younger]]
|formation      = 15 July 1955	
|website        = 
}}
In [[British politics]], the '''shadow home secretary''' (formally known as the '''shadow secretary of state for the home department''') is the person within the [[Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (UK)|shadow cabinet]] who shadows the [[home secretary]]; this effectively means scrutinising government policy on home affairs including [[policing]], [[national security]], and matters of [[citizenship]]. The shadow home secretary also formerly had responsibility for the [[criminal justice system]] and the [[prison]] service; these responsibilities are now held by the [[Shadow Justice Secretary|shadow justice secretary]]. If the opposition party is elected to government, the Shadow Home Secretary often becomes the new Home Secretary, though this is not always the case.  The office is currently held by [[Chris Philp]], a member of the [[Shadow Cabinet of Kemi Badenoch|Conservative shadow cabinet]].

In recent decades, the positions of [[home secretary]] and shadow home secretary have alternated between the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] and [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] parties. The corresponding position for the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] is the [[Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson]].

==List of shadow home secretaries==
{{incomplete list|date=September 2015}}
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=2 |Name
!width=50 |Portrait
!Entered office
!Left office
!Party
!Shadow Cabinet
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|rowspan="2" |[[Kenneth Younger]]
|rowspan="2" |[[File:3x4.svg|60px]]
|rowspan="2" |15 July 1955
|rowspan="2" |24 January 1958<ref>{{cite news |title=Shadow Cabinet Changes |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1ndAAAAAIBAJ&dq=kenneth+younger+shadow&pg=PA9&article_id=2759,2688785 |access-date=19 April 2025 |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=24 January 1958 |page=9}}</ref>
|rowspan="2" {{Party shading/Labour}} | [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]
| {{Party shading/Labour Party (UK)}}| [[Shadow Cabinet of Clement Attlee|Attlee]]
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| {{Party shading/Labour Party (UK)}} rowspan=3 | [[Shadow Cabinet of Hugh Gaitskell|Gaitskell]]
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Patrick Gordon-Walker]]
|[[File:Patrick Gordon Walker.jpg|60px]]
|24 January 1958
|30 November 1961<ref>{{cite news |title=Wilson - Foreign Spokesman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GuVAAAAAIBAJ&dq=shadow+Harold+Wilson&pg=PA1&article_id=3644,3759254 |access-date=28 April 2025 |work=Evening Times |date=30 November 1961 |page=1}}</ref>
|{{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|rowspan="2" |[[George Brown, Baron George-Brown|George Brown]]
|rowspan="2" |[[File:George Brown, 1967.jpg|60px]]
|rowspan="2" |30 November 1961
|rowspan="2" |16 October 1964<ref>{{cite book |author1=Robert Malcolm Punnett |title=Front-bench opposition; the role of the Leader of the Opposition, the Shadow Cabinet and Shadow Government in British politics |date=1973 |publisher=London |pages=458–467 |isbn=978-0-435-83734-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/frontbenchopposi0000punn/page/458/mode/1up |access-date=18 April 2025}}</ref>
|rowspan="2" {{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|{{Party shading/Labour}} | [[First Shadow Cabinet of Harold Wilson|Wilson]]
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Henry Brooke, Baron Brooke of Cumnor|Henry Brooke]]
|[[File:Henry Brooke 1950.jpg|60px]]
|16 October 1964
|29 October 1964<ref>{{cite news |title=Sir Alec Picks His Front Bench |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OW1AAAAAIBAJ&dq=shadow+Edward&pg=PA1&article_id=3621,4737709 |access-date=16 April 2025 |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=29 October 1964 |page=1}}</ref>
|{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
|rowspan="3" {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | [[Shadow Cabinet of Alec Douglas-Home|Douglas-Home]]
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Edward Boyle, Baron Boyle of Handsworth|Edward Boyle]]
|[[File:3x4.svg|60px]]
|29 October 1964
|16 February 1965<ref>{{cite news |title=Sir Alec Reshuffles Shadow Cabinet |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7mJAAAAAIBAJ&dq=shadow+Anthony+Barber&pg=PA1&article_id=4366,2862204 |access-date=16 April 2025 |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=17 February 1965 |page=1}}</ref>
|{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|rowspan=2|[[Peter Thorneycroft]]
|rowspan=2|[[File:Peter Thorneycroft cropped.png|60px]]
|rowspan=2|16 February 1965
|rowspan=2|13 April 1966
|rowspan=2{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|rowspan="2" {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | [[First Shadow Cabinet of Edward Heath|Heath]]
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Quintin Hogg, Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone|Quintin Hogg]]
|[[File:Quintin Hogg, Baron Hailsham Allan Warren.jpg|60px|Quintin Hogg]]
|13 April 1966
|18 June 1970
|{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|[[James Callaghan]]
|[[File:James Callaghan 1970 (cropped).jpg|60px]]
|18 June 1970
|19 October 1971
|{{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour
|rowspan="3" {{Party shading/Labour}} | [[Second Shadow Cabinet of Harold Wilson|Wilson II]]
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Shirley Williams]]
|[[File:Shirley Williams, 1984.jpg|60px|Shirley Williams]]
|19 October 1971
|25 November 1973
|{{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Roy Jenkins]]
|[[File:Roy Jenkins 1977b.jpg|60px|Roy Jenkins]]
|25 November 1973
|4 March 1974
|{{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Robert Carr]]
|[[File:Robert Carr2.jpg|60px]]
|4 March 1974
|11 March 1974<ref>{{cite news |title=Barber Prepares to Quit |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sOk9AAAAIBAJ&dq=Shadow+Cabinet&pg=PA1&article_id=2079,2274899 |access-date=16 April 2025 |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=12 March 1974 |pages=1, 30}}</ref>
|{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative
|rowspan=3 {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | [[Second Shadow Cabinet of Edward Heath|Heath II]]
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Jim Prior]]
|[[File:3x4.svg|60px]]
|11 March 1974
|12 June 1974<ref>{{cite web |title=Whitelaw takes on key Tory post |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8ZFAAAAAIBAJ&dq=Shadow+Cabinet&pg=PA1&article_id=4410,2459642 |publisher=The Glasgow Herald |access-date=16 April 2025 |page=1 |date=12 June 1974}}</ref>
|{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Keith Joseph]]
|[[File:3x4.svg|60px]]
|12 June 1974
|11 February 1975
|{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Ian Gilmour]]
|[[File:3x4.svg|60px]]
|18 February 1975
|15 January 1976
|{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative
|rowspan="2" {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | [[Shadow Cabinet of Margaret Thatcher|Thatcher]]
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|[[William Whitelaw]]
|[[File:3x4.svg|60px]]
|11 April 1976
|4 May 1979
|{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Merlyn Rees]]
|[[File:Merlyn Rees appearing on After Dark , 16 July 1988 - (cropped).jpg|60px]]
|4 May 1979
|4 November 1980
|{{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour
|{{Party shading/Labour}} | [[Shadow Cabinet of James Callaghan|Callaghan]]
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Roy Hattersley]]
|[[File:Roy Hattersley 2012 cropped 2.jpg|60px|Roy Hattersley]]
|4 November 1980
|31 October 1983
|{{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour
|{{Party shading/Labour}} | [[Shadow Cabinet of Michael Foot|Foot]]
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Gerald Kaufman]]
|[[File:Kaufman.JPG|60px|Gerald Kaufman]]
|31 October 1983
|13 July 1987
|{{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour
|rowspan="2" {{Party shading/Labour}} | [[Shadow Cabinet of Neil Kinnock|Kinnock]]
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Roy Hattersley]]
|[[File:Roy Hattersley 2012 cropped 2.jpg|60px|Roy Hattersley]]
|13 July 1987
|24 July 1992
|{{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour
|-
!rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|rowspan=2 |[[Tony Blair]]
|rowspan=2 |[[File:Tony Blair in 1997.jpg|60px|Tony Blair]]
|rowspan=2 |24 July 1992
|rowspan=2 |21 July 1994
|rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour
|{{Party shading/Labour}} | [[Shadow Cabinet of John Smith|Smith]]
|-
|{{Party shading/Labour}} | [[Shadow Cabinet of Margaret Beckett|Beckett]]
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Alun Michael]]
|[[File:Alun Michael official portrait.jpg|60px|Jack Straw]]
|21 July 1994
|20 October 1994
|{{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour
|rowspan="2"{{Party shading/Labour}} | [[Shadow Cabinet of Tony Blair|Blair]]
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Jack Straw]]
|[[File:Jack Straw 2.jpg|60px|Jack Straw]]
|20 October 1994
|2 May 1997
|{{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Michael Howard]]
|[[File:Official portrait of Lord Howard of Lympne crop 2.jpg|60px]]
|2 May 1997
|11 June 1997
|{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative
|{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | [[Shadow Cabinet of John Major|Major]]
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Brian Mawhinney]]
|[[File:3x4.svg|60px]]
|11 June 1997
|2 June 1998
|{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative
|rowspan="3" {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | [[Shadow Cabinet of William Hague|Hague]]
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Norman Fowler]]
|[[File:Official portrait of Lord Fowler crop 2.jpg|60px]]
|2 June 1998
|15 June 1999
|{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Ann Widdecombe]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/85/career |title=Miss Ann Widdecombe |work=UK Parliament |access-date=25 March 2023}}</ref>
|[[File:Widdebookclub (cropped).jpg|60px|]]
|15 June 1999
|18 September 2001
|{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Oliver Letwin]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/247/career |title=Sir Oliver Letwin |work=UK Parliament |access-date=25 March 2023}}</ref>
|[[File:Oliver Letwin Official.jpg|60px|Oliver Letwin]]
|18 September 2001
|10 November 2003
|{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative
|{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | [[Shadow Cabinet of Iain Duncan Smith|Duncan Smith]]
|-
!rowspan="2" style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|rowspan="2" | [[David Davis (British politician)|David Davis]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/373/career |title=Mr David Davis |work=UK Parliament |access-date=25 March 2023}}</ref>
|rowspan="2" | [[File:Official portrait of Rt Hon David Davis MP crop 2.jpg|60px|David Davis]]
|rowspan="2" | 10 November 2003
|rowspan="2" | 12 June 2008
|rowspan="2" {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative
|{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | [[Shadow Cabinet of Michael Howard|Howard]]
|-
|rowspan="3" {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | [[Shadow Cabinet of David Cameron|Cameron]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Dominic Grieve]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/16/career |title=Mr Dominic Grieve |work=UK Parliament |access-date=25 March 2023}}</ref>
|[[File:Official portrait of Mr Dominic Grieve crop 2.jpg|60px|Dominic Grieve]]
|12 June 2008
|19 January 2009
|{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Chris Grayling]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/1413/career |title=Chris Grayling |work=UK Parliament |access-date=25 March 2023}}</ref>
|[[File:Official portrait of Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP crop 2.jpg|60px|Chris Grayling]]
|19 January 2009
|6 May 2010
|{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Alan Johnson]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/376/career |title=Alan Johnson |work=UK Parliament |access-date=25 March 2023}}</ref>
|[[File:Alan_Johnson_MP.jpg|60px]]
|12 May 2010
|8 October 2010
|{{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour
|{{Party shading/Labour}} | [[First Shadow Cabinet of Harriet Harman|Harman I]]
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Ed Balls]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/1549/career |title=Ed Balls |work=UK Parliament |access-date=25 March 2023}}</ref>
|[[File:Ed Balls 2.jpg|60px]]
|8 October 2010
|20 January 2011
|{{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour
|rowspan="2" {{Party shading/Labour}} | [[Shadow Cabinet of Ed Miliband|Miliband]]
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 1px {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" height=30 |
|rowspan="2"|[[Yvette Cooper]]<ref name="YC">{{Cite web|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/420/career |title=Yvette Cooper |work=UK Parliament |access-date=25 March 2023}}</ref>
|rowspan="2"|[[File:Official portrait of Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP crop 2.jpg|60px]]
|rowspan="2"|20 January 2011
|rowspan="2"|14 September 2015
|rowspan="2" {{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|{{Party shading/Labour}} | [[Second Shadow Cabinet of Harriet Harman|Harman II]]
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Andy Burnham]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/1427/career |title=Andy Burnham |work=UK Parliament |access-date=25 March 2023}}</ref>
|[[File:Andy Burnham2.jpg|60px]]
|14 September 2015
|6 October 2016
|{{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour
|rowspan="2" {{Party shading/Labour}} | [[Shadow Cabinet of Jeremy Corbyn|Corbyn]]
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Diane Abbott]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/172/career |title=Ms Diane Abbott |work=UK Parliament |access-date=25 March 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Labour reshuffle: Diane Abbott made shadow home secretary |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37579687|work=BBC News|date=7 October 2016}}</ref>
|[[File:Official portrait of Ms Diane Abbott crop 2.jpg|60px]]
|6 October 2016
|5 April 2020
|{{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Nick Thomas-Symonds]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/4479/career |title=Nick Thomas-Symonds |work=UK Parliament |access-date=25 March 2023}}</ref>
|[[File: Official portrait of Nick Thomas-Symonds crop 2.jpg|60px]]
|5 April 2020
|[[November 2021 British shadow cabinet reshuffle|29 November 2021]]
|{{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour 
|rowspan="2" {{Party shading/Labour}} | [[Shadow Cabinet of Keir Starmer|Starmer]]
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Yvette Cooper]]<ref name="YC"/><ref>{{Cite web|title=Labour reshuffle: Yvette Cooper becomes shadow home secretary|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59461674|work=BBC News|date=30 November 2021}}</ref>
|[[File:Official portrait of Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP crop 2.jpg|60px]]
|[[November 2021 British shadow cabinet reshuffle|29 November 2021]]
|5 July 2024
|{{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|[[James Cleverly]]
|[[File:Official portrait of James Cleverly MP crop 2, 2024.jpg|60px]]
|8 July 2024
|5 November 2024
|{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative
|{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} |[[Shadow Cabinet of Rishi Sunak|Sunak]]
|-
!style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Chris Philp]]
|[[File:Official portrait of Chris Philp MP crop 2, 2024.jpg|60px]]
|5 November 2024
|Incumbent
|{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative
|{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} |[[Shadow Cabinet of Kemi Badenoch|Badenoch]]
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Shadow Home Secretaries}}
{{Shadow Great Officers of State}}
{{UK Parliament Opposition Cabinet Offices}}

[[Category:Official Opposition (United Kingdom)]]