Leader of the Opposition | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Incumbent | Eli Goldsmith |
| Style | The Right Honourable |
| Leads | HM Opposition |
| Appoints | Shadow Cabinet |
| Questions | The Prime Minister, weekly |
The Leader of the Opposition, formally the Leader of His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition, is the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons that is not in government. The Leader of the Opposition leads HM Opposition, appoints the Shadow Cabinet, and is seen as the Prime Minister in waiting: the person who would form a government if the Opposition won the next general election.
The current Leader of the Opposition is Eli Goldsmith MP of the Conservative Party.
Contents
Role
The job of the Opposition is to oppose: to scrutinise the government's bills, spending and decisions, to put forward alternatives, and to offer voters a different government at the next election. The Leader of the Opposition leads that work in the Commons, speaks first after the Prime Minister in major debates, and questions the Prime Minister every week at Prime Minister's Questions.
The Leader of the Opposition can also table a motion of no confidence in the government. If it passes, the Prime Minister must resign or call a general election.
Shadow Cabinet
The Leader of the Opposition chooses a Shadow Cabinet, whose members each shadow a member of the Cabinet. Shadow ministers question their opposite numbers, respond to government statements and develop the Opposition's own policy for their area. On the UKOGB website the Leader of the Opposition manages the Shadow Cabinet and posts as HM Opposition.
See also
This page was last edited on 3 November 2026.