Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade

Shadow Secretary of State
for Business and Trade
Shadow Secretary of State; for Business and Trade
	Incumbent; Andrew Griffith; since 5 November 2024
Appointer	Leader of the Opposition

The shadow secretary of state for business and trade is an office within British politics held by a member of His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition. The duty of the office holder is to scrutinise the actions of the government's secretary of state for business and trade and develop alternative policies. The office holder is a member of the Shadow Cabinet. The position is currently held by Andrew Griffith.

Quick Facts Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Appointer ...

Shadow President of the Board of Trade
Name		Entered office	Left office	Political party	Shadow Cabinet
	Harold Wilson	15 July 1955	15 February 1956	Labour	Attlee
	Patrick Gordon Walker	15 February 1956	November 1958	Labour	Gaitskell
	Dick Mitchison	November 1958	21 February 1963	Labour	Gaitskell
	Douglas Jay	21 February 1963	16 October 1964	Labour	Wilson
	Edward Heath	16 October 1964	29 October 1964^[1]	Conservative	Douglas-Home
	Edward du Cann	29 October 1964	16 February 1965^[2]	Conservative
	Anthony Barber	16 February 1965	22 February 1967^[3]	Conservative
	Anthony Barber	16 February 1965	22 February 1967^[3]	Conservative	Heath
	Keith Joseph	22 February 1967	19 June 1970	Conservative	Heath

Shadow Secretary of State for Industry and Technology						Shadow President of the Board of Trade
Name			Entered office	Left office	Political party	Name			Entered office	Left office	Political party	Shadow Cabinet
	Tony Benn		19 June 1970	15 October 1970	Labour		Roy Mason		19 June 1970	15 October 1970	Labour	Wilson II

Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
Name		Entered office	Left office	Political party	Shadow Cabinet
	Tony Benn	15 October 1970	4 March 1974	Labour	Wilson II
	Peter Walker	4 March 1974^[4]	19 June 1974	Conservative	Heath II
	Michael Heseltine	19 June 1974^[5]	18 February 1975	Conservative	Heath II

Shadow Secretary of State for Industry					Shadow Minister for Trade
Name		Entered office	Left office	Political party	Name		Entered office	Left office	Political party	Shadow Cabinet
	Michael Heseltine	18 February 1975^[6]	19 November 1976	Conservative		Terence Higgins	18 February 1975^[7]	19 November 1976	Conservative	Thatcher
	John Biffen	19 November 1976	28 February 1977^[8]	Conservative		Teddy Taylor	19 November 1976	9 December 1976	Conservative
	John Biffen	19 November 1976	28 February 1977^[8]	Conservative		John Nott	December 1976	4 May 1979	Conservative
	Keith Joseph	28 February 1977	4 May 1979	Conservative		John Nott	December 1976	4 May 1979	Conservative
	Eric Varley	4 May 1979	14 July 1979	Labour		John Smith	4 May 1979	24 November 1982	Labour	Callaghan
	John Silkin	14 July 1979	4 November 1980	Labour						Callaghan
	Stan Orme	4 November 1980	31 October 1983	Labour						Foot
	Stan Orme	4 November 1980	31 October 1983	Labour		Peter Archer	24 November 1982	31 October 1983	Labour	Foot

Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry & President of the Board of Trade
Name		Entered office	Left office	Political party	Shadow Cabinet
	Peter Shore	31 October 1983	26 October 1984	Labour	Kinnock
	John Smith	26 October 1984	13 July 1987	Labour
	Bryan Gould	13 July 1987	2 November 1989	Labour
	Gordon Brown	2 November 1989	18 July 1992	Labour
	Robin Cook	18 July 1992	20 October 1994	Labour	Smith Beckett
	Jack Cunningham	20 October 1994	19 October 1995	Labour	Blair
	Margaret Beckett	19 October 1995	2 May 1997	Labour	Blair
	Michael Heseltine	2 May 1997	11 June 1997	Conservative	Major
	John Redwood	11 June 1997	15 June 1999	Conservative	Hague
	Angela Browning	15 June 1999	26 September 2000	Conservative
	David Heathcoat-Amory	26 September 2000	18 September 2001	Conservative
	John Whittingdale	18 September 2001	23 July 2002	Conservative	Duncan Smith
	Tim Yeo	23 July 2002	11 November 2003	Conservative	Duncan Smith

List of shadow secretaries