shadow cabinet
Minority party leadership
A shadow cabinet is the group of senior opposition politicians in a parliamentary system who each monitor and critique a specific government minister's department.
The shadow chancellor shadows the chancellor, the shadow health secretary shadows the health secretary, and so on.
Members stand ready to assume actual cabinet positions if their party wins power.
The term is primarily British but applies to similar arrangements in other Commonwealth countries.
Senior legislators' seating area
- spokespersonAuthorized representative communicator
- portfolioCollected works or assets
- dispatch boxGovernment document case
- question timeLegislative inquiry period
select committee · House of Commons · House of Lords · MPs · peers · backbenchers · whips · amendment
Detailed evaluative analysis
- scrutinyClose, careful examination
- challengeTest of ability
- rebuttalFormal response disputing claims
- dissentDisagreement with authority
accountability · counterargument · resistance · objection · oppose · debate · minority · contestation
Arranging in specific locations
- messagingSending written digital communications
- campaigningActively pursuing political support
- coordinationOrganized cooperative movement
- planningArranging for future events
tactics · policy development · media strategy · negotiation · coalition-building · leadership · vision · adaptation
frontbench
Senior legislators' seating area
- spokespersonAuthorized representative communicator
- portfolioCollected works or assets
- dispatch boxGovernment document case
question time · select committee · House of Commons · House of Lords · MPs · peers · backbenchers · whips · amendment · bills
critique
Detailed evaluative analysis
dissent · accountability · counterargument · resistance · objection · oppose · debate · minority · contestation · disapproval
positioning
Arranging in specific locations
- messagingSending written digital communications
- campaigningActively pursuing political support
- coordinationOrganized cooperative movement
planning · tactics · policy development · media strategy · negotiation · coalition-building · leadership · vision · adaptation · gameplan
- governing bodiesgoverning body, governing council, senate, board of directors, parliament
- UK PoliticsHouse of Commons, House of Lords, MP, Tory, Downing Street
- British GovernmentHouse of Commons, House of Lords, Westminster, Whitehall, Downing Street
- Canadian ParliamentHouse of Commons, Senate, Parliament Hill, MP, senator
- Canadian PoliticsPierre Trudeau, Justin Trudeau, premier, legislature, MLA
- factionsfactions, faction, splinter groups, splinter party, blocs
shadow cabinetcabinet
Enclosed storage furniture
government · administration · ministry · executive branch · ruling party
shadow, cabinet, shadowy, overshadow, cabinets, overshadowed, cabinetry, cabinetmaker, overshadowing