Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has sacked shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride and replaced him with Andrew Griffith, promoting him from shadow business secretary in what is being seen as a shift towards a bolder, more tax-cutting economic stance. The appointment is notable because Griffith was financial secretary to the Treasury under Liz Truss and helped design her 2022 mini-Budget, which triggered a run on the gilt market and widespread economic turmoil, suggesting Badenoch has not distanced the party from that episode as she seeks to compete with Nigel Farage's Reform UK.

The change forms part of Badenoch's first major reshuffle of her top team, which also saw Dame Priti Patel replaced as shadow foreign secretary by Tom Tugendhat and Stuart Andrew removed as shadow health secretary. Claire Coutinho will serve as Griffith's deputy on economics while remaining shadow business secretary, and Richard Fuller will focus on fiscal discipline; Griffith has pledged lower taxes, deregulation and scrapping Labour's employment rights reforms, while Liberal Democrat spokesperson Daisy Cooper accused the Tories of sacrificing economic credibility.