Leicestershire MP takes role in Rishi Sunak’s shadow cabinet

Leicestershire MP Edward Argar has been given a role in Rishi Sunak’s shadow cabinet. Mr Argar secured another five-year term in Parliament at the General Election last week.

Formerly MP for Charnwood, he will now be representing the new Melton and Syston seat after securing 17,526 votes in the polls. Mr Argar will also form part of the new Conservative shadow cabinet as Shadow Justice Secretary after former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced appointments yesterday (Monday, July 8).

He is replacing Alex Chalk who served as Justice Secretary in the last Government. Mr Chalk lost his seat in Thursday’s (July 4) vote.

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The shadow cabinet is formed by the official opposition with positions mirroring those of the Government’s top team. While the roles have no executive power, shadow cabinet members scrutinise the policies and actions of the Government and offer alternative policies.

However, the positions are only interim appointments as the Conservative Party is set to select a new leader following its decimation in the polls last week. Rishi Sunak announced his resignation in his final speech as Prime Minister on Friday, July 5.

He said he will only stay in the role until arrangements to appoint his successor are in place. The party sustained its biggest ever electoral defeat last week, coming away with just 121 MPs – the lowest number in the party’s history.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party stormed to victory securing 412 of Parliament’s 650 seats in what is being described as a “landslide”. New PM Sir Keir Starmer selected his own cabinet last week, with Leicester’s own Liz Kendall becoming the new Work and Pensions Secretary.

However, another Leicester MP Jon Ashworth, who was also expected to play a key role in the new Government, suffered a shock defeat in the polls. He lost his seat to independent Shockat Adam, with the new MP’s victory being widely put down to Mr Ashworth’s position on Gaza.