New Melton MP gets shadow cabinet role

Edward Argar with wife Laetitia after he was elected MP for Melton & Syston early on Friday

Newly-elected Melton & Syston MP, Edward Argar, has been handed a role in Rishi Sunak’s shadow cabinet.

Mr Argar will serve as Shadow Justice Secretary after the former Prime Minister announced appointments this week.

He is replacing Alex Chalk who served as Justice Secretary in the last government. Mr Chalk lost his seat in Thursday’s vote.

Mr Argar secured another five-year term in Parliament at the General Election last week.

Formerly MP for Charnwood, he will now be representing the new Melton and Syston seat after securing 17,526 votes in the polls.

The shadow cabinet is formed by the official opposition with positions mirroring those of the government’s top team.

While the roles have no executive power, shadow cabinet members scrutinise the policies and actions of the government and offer alternative policies.

However, the positions are only interim appointments as the Conservative Party is set to select a new leader following its decimation in the polls last week.

Mr Sunak announced his resignation in his final speech as Prime Minister on Friday.

He said he will only stay in the role until arrangements to appoint his successor are in place.

Mr Argar served as Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice in Mr Sunak’s government and was previously Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

The Toiries sustained their biggest ever electoral defeat last week, coming away with just 121 MPs – the lowest number in the party’s history.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party stormed to victory, securing 412 of Parliament’s 650 seats in what is being described as a ‘landslide’.

New PM Sir Keir Starmer selected his own cabinet last week, with Leicester’s Liz Kendall becoming the new Work and Pensions Secretary.