CapX: How to build an effective Shadow Cabinet

What was Liz Truss’ biggest mistake as Prime Minister? Attention has, not unreasonably, tended to focus on the mini-Budget which fractured the Conservative parliamentary party, spooked the markets, forced out the Chancellor and ultimately precipitated her resignation. But the mini-Budget was arguably the product of an earlier poor decision: forming a Cabinet which excluded dissenters.

Of Truss’ Cabinet of 23, 18 had backed her in the summer 2022 leadership election. The other five had been undeclared. And so as Britain’s new Prime Minister considered how to shake up the British state, she was largely surrounded by fellow travellers, seemingly unwilling to stand up to her and certainly not representative of the breadth of views (and talent) held by Conservative MPs. Mistakes inevitably followed – and when they did, jilted MPs on the backbenches were in an unforgiving mood.

The stakes are a lot lower for the new Conservative leader. The burdens of government have rarely appeared so far away, with their task limited to shepherding the rump of Conservative MPs on the opposition benches. But the risks and pitfalls of forming the wrong top team remain. So, what lessons can the new leader learn from the Tory party’s past?

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