You may have noticed your eyes immediately scan downwards to the minus numbers when looking at our latest Shadow Cabinet league table. That is because ten shadow cabinet minister have fallen into negative ratings; only just avoiding April 2024’s record of 12 disappointed members sinking into the pink chart.
In last month’s Shadow Cabinet league table there were just five people who found themselves in minus numbers, so that’s a very quick doubling. It has seen the average score go down from +12.62 last month to just +4 this month – and speaks to a general dissatisfaction with Kemi Badenoch’s top team.
As one shadow cabinet member told ConservativeHome, and it is something echoed by Tory backbenchers too: “There is a load of dead weight.” Clearly our Members’ Panel are starting to agree.
The Tory Party leader was very close to joining them. She has fallen to a nil point rating, down from +9 last month and taking her to 14th place. Compare that to the last Cabinet League Table of Boris Johnson’s Government where he then sat at zero.
It means the gap between Badenoch and Robert Jenrick has increased by just a single point. But the shadow justice secretary, too, has experienced a drop of eight points, although his lead over second place – where shadow home secretary Chris Philp has swapped places with shadow chancellor Mel Stride – has increased.
There have been huge falls for shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel, shadow health secretary Ed Argar and shadow transport secretary Gareth Bacon: all entering double minus figures. The trio have regularly been mentioned by colleagues as MIA, but it is Alan Mak’s reign as lanterne rouge that remains secure.
Below is a list of how many shadow cabinet members had a score in a given ten-point range this month and last, with the change in brackets (excluding the Scottish and Welsh leaders):
- +70s: 0 | 1 (-1)
- +60s: 0 | 0 (-)
- +50s: 0 | 1 (-1)
- +40s: 0 | 1 (-1)
- +30s: 2 | 1 (+1)
- +20s: 1 | 1 (-)
- +10s: 2 | 5 (-3)
- +00s: 9 | 11 (-2)
- -00s: 10 | 4 (+6)
- -10s: 4 | 1 (+3)
When it comes to Wales, Darren Millar has gone into negative figures amidst a growing row inside the Welsh Tories over devolution and Senedd candidacy.
It has led to reports that Huw Davies, frequent ConHome contributor and one of Millar’s online anti-devolution critics, has been suspended by the Welsh party after arguing against rules on incumbency and on any deal with Plaid Cymru after the 2026 election.
Millar, elected leader of the Senned group without a contest, secured his best score in his first appearance in the League Table at +8.9 but has now reached -6.4, compared with Andrew RT Davies who generally posted double-digit scores and in his last table sat at +32.6.
It may not bode well for the mood at the Welsh Tory Party conference over the next two days.
All in all, the take on the Shadow Cabinet is not a hugely positive one – whether that is in Westminster or through the membership.
As one Tory whip challenged ConservativeHome in a game recently: “Let me see if you could name all the members of the shadow cabinet? Who is shadow DWP? Who is in shadow health? Who’s shadow leader of the Commons? Even if I forget!” As ConservativeHome staff, given we are paid to know them, the results were okay – but there wouldn’t be much surprise if the average Tory member, or even MP it seems, couldn’t get 100 per cent.
When you’re in a situation where Labour’s Lucy Powell is coming under attack for calling the rape gang scandal a “dog whistle” and the only thing her Tory opposite Jesse Norman posts on Twitter (X) in the 48 hours after is about Adam Smith’s treatment of innovation and his stadial theory of society, it might be little wonder there hasn’t been much positive political cut through from some members of the shadow cabinet.
