Second Wilson shadow cabinet

{{Distinguish|First Wilson shadow cabinet|Wilson shadow ministry}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox government cabinet | cabinet_name = Second Shadow Cabinet of Harold Wilson | cabinet_number = | cabinet_type = Shadow Cabinet | jurisdiction = United Kingdom | flag = Flag of the United Kingdom.svg | flag_border = true | flag_width = | incumbent = 1970 – 1974 | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | date_formed = 19 June 1970 | date_dissolved = 4 March 1974 | state_head_title = Monarch | state_head = Elizabeth II | government_head_title = Leader of the Opposition | government_head = Harold Wilson | government_head_history = | deputy_government_head_title = Deputy Leader of the Opposition | deputy_government_head = Roy Jenkins (1970–72) Edward Short (1972–74) | other_government_minister_title = | other_government_minister = | represented_by_title = | represented_by = | members_number =  | former_members_number = | total_number = | political_party = {{ubl|{{Color box|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} Labour Party}} | legislature_status = Official Opposition | election = | last_election = | legislature_term = 45th UK Parliament | incoming_formation = 1970 United Kingdom general election | outgoing_formation = February 1974 United Kingdom general election | previous = First Heath shadow cabinet | successor = Second Heath shadow cabinet }} Harold Wilson of the Labour Party formed his '''Second Shadow Cabinet''' as Leader of Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition after losing the 1970 general election to Conservative Edward Heath.

He retained leadership of the Opposition for the length of the Heath ministry from 1970 to 1974. In February 1974, his party narrowly won an election. Wilson was then forced to form a minority government that lasted only until another election in October of that year. Following that election, Wilson formed a majority government.

==Shadow Cabinet list== [[Image:Lord Harold Wilson Allan Warren.jpg|thumb|200px|Harold Wilson, Leader of the Opposition (1970–1974)]] {| class="wikitable" ! Portfolio ! Shadow Minister ! Term |- | Leader of Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition Leader of the Labour Party | The Rt Hon. Harold Wilson | nowrap | 1970 – 1974 |- | rowspan=2 |Deputy Leader of the Opposition Deputy Leader of the Labour Party | The Rt Hon. Roy Jenkins | nowrap | 1970 – 1972 |- | The Rt Hon. Edward Short | nowrap | 1972 – 1974 |- | rowspan=2 | Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer | The Rt Hon. Roy Jenkins | 1970 – 1972 |- | The Rt Hon. Denis Healey | 1972 – 1974 |- | rowspan=3 | Shadow Leader of the House of Commons | The Rt Hon. Fred Peart | nowrap | 1970 – 1971 |- | The Rt Hon. Michael Foot | 1971 – 1972 |- | The Rt Hon. Edward Short | 1972 – 1974 |- | rowspan=2 | Shadow Foreign Secretary | The Rt Hon. Denis Healey | nowrap | 1970 – 1972 |- | The Rt Hon. James Callaghan | 1972 – 1974 |- | rowspan=3 | Shadow Home Secretary | The Rt Hon. James Callaghan | nowrap | 1970 – 1971 |- | Shirley Williams | 1971 – 1973 |- | The Rt Hon. Roy Jenkins | 1973 – 1974 |- | rowspan=2 | Shadow Secretary of State for Defence | The Rt Hon. George Thomson | nowrap | 1970 – 1972 |- | The Rt Hon. Fred Peart | nowrap | 1972 – 1974 |- | Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment | The Rt Hon. Anthony Crosland | nowrap | 1970 – 1974 |- | Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry | The Rt Hon. Tony Benn | nowrap | 1970 – 1974 |- | rowspan=3 | Shadow Secretary of State for Employment | The Rt Hon. Barbara Castle | nowrap | 1970 – 1971 |- | The Rt Hon. James Callaghan | 1971 – 1972 |- | The Rt Hon. Reg Prentice | 1972 – 1974 |- | rowspan=3 | Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Services | Shirley Williams | nowrap | 1970 – 1971 |- | The Rt Hon. Barbara Castle | nowrap | 1971 – 1972 |- | John Silkin | nowrap | 1972 – 1974 |- | rowspan=2 | Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Science | The Rt Hon. Edward Short | nowrap | 1970 – 1972 |- | The Rt Hon. Roy Hattersley | 1972 – 1974 |- | rowspan=3 | Shadow Minister of Fuel and Power | Michael Foot | nowrap | 1970 – 1971 |- | The Rt Hon. Harold Lever | nowrap | 1971 – 1972 |- | The Rt Hon. Eric Varley | nowrap | 1972 – 1974 |- | rowspan=3 | Shadow Minister for Europe | The Rt Hon. Harold Lever | nowrap | 1970 – 1971 |- | Peter Shore | nowrap | 1971 – 1972 |- | Michael Foot | nowrap | 1972 – 1974 |- | Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland | The Rt Hon. Merlyn Rees | nowrap | 1972 – 1974 |- ! colspan="3" |Other frontbenchers |- | rowspan=1 | Shadow Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food | The Rt Hon. Cledwyn Hughes | nowrap | 1970 – 1971 |- | rowspan=1 | Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland | The Rt Hon. William Ross | nowrap | 1970 – 1974 |- | rowspan=1 | Shadow Secretary of State for Wales | George Thomas | nowrap | 1970 – 1974 |- | rowspan=1 | Shadow President of the Board of Trade | Roy Mason | nowrap | 1970 |- | rowspan=1 | Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords | The Rt Hon.The Lord Shackleton PC | nowrap | 1970 – 1974 |- | Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Commons | The Rt Hon. Bob Mellish | nowrap | 1970 – 1974 |- | rowspan=2 | Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Lords | The Rt Hon. Baron Beswick | nowrap | 1970 – 1973 |- | The Rt Hon. Baroness Llewelyn-Davies | nowrap | 1973 – 1974 |}

==Initial Shadow Cabinet== Wilson announced his new Shadow Cabinet on 22 July 1970, following the election of Roy Jenkins as Deputy Leader and the Shadow Cabinet election.<ref>{{cite news |author1=John Warden |title=No Surprises in Wilson's Shadow Cabinet |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=atA9AAAAIBAJ&dq=Shadow+Cabinet+Harold+Wilson&pg=PA19&article_id=5919,4340875 |access-date=16 April 2025 |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=23 July 1970 |page=19}}</ref> It featured three members who were not in the former cabinet, Foot, Williams and Houghton.

* Harold Wilson – Leader of Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party * Roy Jenkins – Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer * Fred Peart – Shadow Leader of the House of Commons * Denis Healey – Shadow Foreign Secretary * James Callaghan – Shadow Home Secretary * George Thomson – Shadow Secretary of State for Defence * Anthony Crosland – Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment * Tony Benn – Shadow Secretary of State for Industry and Technology * Michael Foot – Shadow Minister for Fuel and Power * Barbara Castle – Shadow Secretary of State for Employment * Shirley Williams – Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Services * Edward Short – Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Science * Douglas Houghton – Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party * William Ross – Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland * Harold Lever – Shadow Minister for Europe

===Junior Shadow Ministers=== * Cledwyn Hughes – Shadow Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food * Andrew Faulds - Shadow Minister for the Arts * George Thomas – Shadow Secretary of State for Wales * Roy Mason – Shadow President of the Board of Trade * Elwyn Jones – Shadow Attorney General * Samuel Silkin – Shadow Solicitor General for England and Wales * Robert Sheldon – Shadow Paymaster General * The Lord Shackleton PC – Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords * Bob Mellish – Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Commons * Baron Beswick – Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Lords

===Changes=== ====December 1971==== * James Callaghan replaces Barbara Castle as Shadow Secretary of State for Employment<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=z9A9AAAAIBAJ&pg=5921,3423474&dq=shadow-leader&hl=en |title=Wilson Gives Foot Key Market Role |date=17 December 1971 |access-date=18 January 2011 |work=The Glasgow Herald |page=22 |last=Warden |first=John}}</ref> * Barbara Castle replaces Shirley Williams as Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Services * Shirley Williams replaces James Callaghan as Shadow Secretary of State for the Home Department * Michael Foot replaces Fred Peart as Shadow Leader of the House of Commons * Fred Peart replaces Cledwyn Hughes as Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food * Peter Shore joins the shadow cabinet as Shadow Minister for Europe

====April 1972==== * Roy Jenkins resigns as Deputy Leader and Shadow Chancellor * George Thomson resigns as Shadow Defence Secretary and is replaced by Roy Hattersley * Harold Lever resigns is replaced as Shadow Minister of Fuel and Power by Eric Varley * Denis Healey replaces Roy Jenkins as Shadow Chancellor<ref>{{cite news |author1=John Warden |title=Wilson acts to sten defections |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R-s9AAAAIBAJ&dq=shadow&pg=PA1&article_id=2221,1906881 |access-date=17 April 2025 |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=12 April 1972 |page=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author1=Peter Long |title=Wilson patches up front ranks |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OoRWAAAAIBAJ&dq=shadow&pg=PA3&article_id=1067,4332349 |access-date=17 April 2025 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=13 April 1972 |location=London |page=5}}</ref> * James Callaghan replaces Denis Healey as Shadow Foreign Secretary * Reg Prentice joins the shadow cabinet, replacing James Callaghan as Shadow Employment Secretary * Edward Short replaces Roy Jenkins as Deputy Leader of the Opposition

====December 1972==== * Edward Short becomes Shadow Leader of the House of Commons * Roy Hattersley replaces Edward Short as Shadow Education Secretary * Fred Peart replaces Roy Hattersley as Shadow Defence Secretary * Norman Buchan replaces Fred Peart as Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food * Michael Foot replaces Peter Shore as Shadow Europe Minister * Peter Shore becomes Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster<ref>{{cite news |author1=William Russell |title=Wilson gives Shore key prices post |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N9A9AAAAIBAJ&dq=shadow+Agriculture&pg=PA16&article_id=3294,1441937 |access-date=17 April 2025 |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=7 December 1972 |page=16}}</ref> * Harold Lever takes responsibility for shadowing the Trade and Industry affairs dealing with company law, mergers, competition and insurance * Merlyn Rees joins the shadow cabinet with a newly created post: Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland * Barbara Castle is replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Services by John Silkin

====November 1973==== * Roy Jenkins returns to the shadow cabinet, replacing Shirley Williams as Shadow Home Secretary<ref>{{cite news |title=Prices Job For Mrs Williams |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mJBAAAAAIBAJ&dq=shadow+Roy+Jenkins&pg=PA1&article_id=3040,5699813 |access-date=17 April 2025 |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=23 November 1973 |page=1}}</ref> * Shirley Williams takes the newly created post of Shadow Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection

==References== * {{citation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o5g8Jq3UoNEC&pg=PR17 |page=xvii |title=Labour Party in Opposition 1970–1974 |author=Patrick Bell |publisher=Routledge |year=2004 |isbn=9780714654560 |chapter= Principal Labour Shadow Cabinet ... 1970-74}} {{reflist}} {{British shadow cabinets}} {{UK Labour Party}}

Category:British shadow cabinets Category:Harold Wilson Wilson Category:1970 establishments in the United Kingdom Category:1974 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Category:1970 in British politics