Kemi Badenoch has sacked her shadow chancellor, Mel Stride replacing him with Andrew Griffith. She also sacked shadow foreign secretary, Priti Patel, in a sweeping Conservative reshuffle on Monday,, and is expected to install Tom Tugendhat as Patel’s replacement.
Stride, who has been the shadow chancellor since Badenoch became leader, was widely seen among Tories as failing to make an impression at a time when Labour has been under pressure over the economy.
Griffith, who was previously a high-profile businessman, moves from the shadow business brief, where he will be replaced by Claire Coutinho, the former shadow energy secretary. A senior Conservative source described Griffith, the former chief operating officer of Sky and chair of Just Eat, as “a no-nonsense, pro-growth shadow chancellor with real business experience”.
“Kemi is changing the way the Conservative party approaches economic policy and creating a new economic leadership team for the next phase, focused on growth, higher living standards and fiscal credibility.”
Badenoch paid tribute to Stride but confirmed in a statement that he would return to the backbenches. “He helped us steady the ship, rebuild economic credibility and become an effective opposition, and I am genuinely grateful for his contribution,” she said, calling him “exceptionally loyal, and I will always be grateful to him for the work he has done”.
