Second Wilson shadow cabinet
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
Initial Shadow Cabinet
Wilson announced his new Shadow Cabinet on 22 July 1970, following the Labour Party deputy leadership election|election] of Roy Jenkins as Deputy Leader and the Shadow Cabinet election. 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, Leader of the Labour Party (UK)|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 Trade and Industry|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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Shirley Williams takes the newly created post of Shadow Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection