Lably
Skip to content

Shadow cabinet

Feature of the Westminster system of government

  • 8 min read
  • 3 chapters

Related on Lably

Through Parliamentary system, Opposition (politics) and Cabinet (government)

Lab · Class 8National Movement

In many countries, a member of the shadow cabinet is referred to as a shadow minister. In the United Kingdom's House of Lords and in New Zealand, the term shadow spokesperson is used instead of minister. In Canada, the term opposition critic is also used.

Description and functions

The shadow ministers' duties may give them considerable prominence in the party caucus hierarchy especially if it is a high-profile portfolio. Although the salary and benefits paid from the public treasury to shadow ministers remain the same as for a backbencher—they have no executive responsibilities, unlike cabinet ministers—some opposition parties provide an additional stipend in addition to the salary they receive as legislators while many at least reimburse shadow ministers for any additional expenses incurred that are not otherwise eligible for reimbursement out of public funds. Moreover, in most Westminster-style legislative bodies all recognised parliamentary parties are granted a block of public funding to help their elected members carry out their duties, often in addition to the budgets individual legislators receive to pay for constituency offices and other such expenses. There is typically a stipulation that such funds must be used for official parliamentary business; however, within that restriction, parties can usually distribute the funds among their elected lawmakers as they see fit and thereby provide the money needed to staff and support shadow ministries.

Members of a shadow cabinet may not necessarily be appointed to the corresponding Cabinet post if and when their party forms a government. However, the consistency with which parties assuming power appoint shadow ministers into the actual roles in government varies widely depending on such things as jurisdiction, the traditions and practices of the party assuming government, the exact circumstances surrounding their assumption of power, the prerequisites to serve in the cabinet, and even the importance of the cabinet post in question. Political dynamics based around coalition government add another element of unpredictability: parties that sit together in a shadow cabinet are not guaranteed to serve as coalition partners, and a once-opposition party that comes to power might rely on the same junior coalition partners as the previous government. For example, in the Netherlands, Joop den Uyl's shadow cabinet shadowed the De Jong cabinet, which had the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) as one of its coalition partners. Once the Den Uyl cabinet was formed, it also had the ARP as a coalition member.

As well as being potential future ministers, a number of shadow ministers have held ministerial posts in the past.

As a mark of discipline, shadow ministers are expected to speak within and not outside their portfolio areas.

Sign in to keep reading

2 more chapters are free with a Lably account.

More in Politics and economics

United States CongressBicameral legislature of the United StatesSupreme Court of the United StatesHighest court of jurisdiction in the U.S.World Bank GroupGroup making loans to developing countriesRoyal NavyNaval warfare force of the United KingdomPresident of the United StatesHead of state and governmentGovernment of IndiaThe Government of India (Devanagari: भारत सरकार; IAST: Bhārata Sarakāra; legally, the Unio