# Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero

The Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero is a post in the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet. The shadow secretary originally helped hold the secretary of state for energy and climate change and junior ministers to account and is the lead spokesperson on energy and climate change issues for their party. The post currently holds the secretary of state for energy security and net zero to account in Parliament.
A previous Official Opposition post of shadow secretary of state for energy existed until the Department of Energy was merged into the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in 1992. In 2008, the Department for Energy and Climate Change was split from the DTI's successor department, effectively reviving the former department and the need for an Opposition shadow.
Following Theresa May's appointment as Prime Minister in July 2016, the department was disbanded and merged with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to form the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with the consequent ending of this shadow post.
It was revived during the Shadow Cabinet of Keir Starmer and given to Ed Miliband, the former Labour leader, who was then serving as Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy before his appointment.

## Shadow Secretary of State for Energy (1974–1992)

| Name | Took office | Left office | Political party | Leader of the Opposition |
| Patrick Jenkin | 18 February 1975 | 15 January 1976 | Conservative | Margaret Thatcher |
| John Biffen | 15 January 1976 | 19 November 1976 | Conservative | Margaret Thatcher |
| Tom King | 19 November 1976 | 4 May 1979 | Conservative | Margaret Thatcher |
| Tony Benn | 4 May 1979 | 14 July 1979 | Labour | James Callaghan |
| David Owen | 14 July 1979 | 4 November 1980 | Labour | James Callaghan |
| Merlyn Rees | 4 November 1980 | 24 November 1982 | Labour | Michael Foot |
| John Smith | 24 November 1982 | 2 October 1983 | Labour | Michael Foot |
| Stan Orme | 2 October 1983 | 13 July 1987 | Labour | Neil Kinnock |
| John Prescott | 13 July 1987 | 23 November 1988 | Labour | Neil Kinnock |
| Tony Blair | 23 November 1988 | 2 November 1989 | Labour | Neil Kinnock |
| Frank Dobson | 2 November 1989 | 18 July 1992 | Labour | Neil Kinnock |

## Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (2008–2016)

| Name | Took office | Left office | Political party | Leader of the Opposition |
| Greg Clark | 6 October 2008 | 11 May 2010 | Conservative | David Cameron |
| Ed Miliband | 11 May 2010 | 8 October 2010 | Labour | Harriet Harman |
| Meg Hillier | 8 October 2010 | 7 October 2011 | Labour | Ed Miliband |
| Caroline Flint | 7 October 2011 | 14 September 2015 | Labour | Ed Miliband |
| Caroline Flint | 7 October 2011 | 14 September 2015 | Labour | Harriet Harman |
| Lisa Nandy | 14 September 2015 | 27 June 2016 | Labour | Jeremy Corbyn |
| Barry Gardiner | 27 June 2016 | 8 October 2016 | Labour | Jeremy Corbyn |

## Shadow Secretary of State for Climate Change and Net Zero (2021-2023)

| Name | Name | Name | Took office | Left office | Political party | Leader of the Opposition |
| | Ed Miliband | | 29 November 2021 | 5 July 2024 | Labour | Keir Starmer |

## Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (2023-present)

| Name | Name | Name | Took office | Left office | Political party | Leader of the Opposition |
| | Ed Miliband | | 29 November 2021 | 5 July 2024 | Labour | Keir Starmer |
| | Claire Coutinho | | 8 July 2024 | Incumbent | Conservative | Rishi Sunak |