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The Shadow Cabinet (also called the Opposition Front Bench) is a senior group of opposition
spokespeople in the Westminster System of government who
together under the leadership of the Leader of the
Opposition (or the leader of other smaller opposition parties) form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members
shadow or mark each individual member of the government. Members of a shadow cabinet are often but not always appointed
to a Cabinet post if and when their party gets into government.
In the United Kingdom and Canada the major opposition party and specifically its shadow cabinet is often called Her Majesty's Loyal
Opposition. The adjective "loyal" is used because while there are policy differences, everyone acknowledges the role of the
opposition in the system. However in other countries that use the Westminster system (eg. Australia and New Zealand), the opposition is known simply as
The Parliamentary Opposition.
In the UK, the Parliamentary Labour Party
elects most members of the Shadow Cabinet when in opposition, but when in government, the choice of Cabinet members is left
wholly to the Prime Minister.
See also: Official opposition
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