Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is an office within British politics held by a member of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. The duty of the office holder is to scrutinise the actions of the government's Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and develop alternative policies. The office holder is a member of the Shadow Cabinet and appointed by the Leader of the Opposition.
Until the election of Sir Keir Starmer in April 2020, unlike the Secretary of State the position shadows, the Shadow Secretary's official title did not include social care as this brief was reserved for the Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Social Care, Barbara Keeley. Ashworth gained the portfolio of social care in England in April 2020, following Starmer's Shadow Cabinet reshuffle.
