Website The Shadow Cabinet | ||
Appointer Leader of the Opposition | ||
The Shadow Secretary of State for International Development is the lead spokesperson for the United Kingdom's Official Opposition on issues related to the Department for International Development (DfID), which is responsible for international aid, most notably to the third world. The Shadow Secretary (usually with one or more junior shadow ministers) also holds the Secretary of State for International Development and other DfID ministers to account in Parliament. Before Tony Blair established DfID after coming to power in 1997, there was a Minister for Overseas Development ("Minister of" before 1970) who was a part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Since 1989, the Shadow Minister or Shadow Secretary has usually been a member of the Shadow Cabinet.