The Tory leader is carrying out a reshuffle of her shadow cabinet.
Mel Stride says Kemi Badenoch has ‘plenty of backbone’ in April
Kemi Badenoch has sacked Sir Mel Stride as shadow chancellor in her Tory shadow cabinet reshuffle. He has been replaced with Andrew Griffith, while Claire Coutinho has been appointed as shadow business secretary.
Dame Priti Patel is also leaving her post as shadow foreign secretary as part of the overhaul. Mrs Badenoch said: “Like Priti, Mel came into the job at an exceptionally difficult point for the Conservative Party.
Kemi Badenoch is reshuffling her shadow cabinet (Image: Getty)
Sir Mel Stride has been ousted as shadow chancellor (Image: Getty)
“He brought experience, seriousness and stability when those things were badly needed. He helped us steady the ship, rebuild economic credibility and become an effective opposition, and I am genuinely grateful for his contribution.
“The Conservative Party would not have got where we are without his work and his very effective skewering of Rachel Reeves and her disastrous time as Chancellor.
“Mel has been very supportive of the new economic team and the Party, and been exceptionally loyal, and I will always be grateful to him for the work he has done.”
Richard Fuller will remain as Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
A senior Conservative source said: “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.
“The team will be led by Andrew Griffith, a no-nonsense, pro-growth Shadow Chancellor with real business experience.
“Claire Coutinho will be Andrew’s deputy across the economic brief, as well as Shadow Business Secretary, and will make sure growth translates into higher living standards.
“Richard Fuller will be focused on fiscal discipline and the savings work which underpins the economic programme.
“The new Conservative Economic Unit will be the driving force of the Shadow Cabinet’s business and economic policies.”
It comes after Dame Priti was replaced as shadow foreign secretary by Tom Tugendhat on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Sir James Cleverly announced on Saturday he will stand down as shadow housing secretary to take a run at the Tory candidacy for London mayor.
Mrs Badenoch is carrying out a reshuffle of her shadow cabinet before the party’s conference in October.