NEW Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has picked Central Devon MP Mel Stride as her Shadow Chancellor.

Mr Stride, whose constituency covers Crediton, Okehampton and Ashburton, had been Work and Pensions Secretary in Rishi Sunak’s government and Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary after the Conservatives lost the general election in July.

The 63-year-old ran alongside Mrs Badenoch in the party’s leadership election but was knocked out at the second ballot of MPs.

Congratulating her win on Saturday, November 2, Mr Stride said: “Now we owe it to the country we love to unite under your leadership and replace this dreadful government.

“Let’s get to work.”

Married with three daughters, Mr Stride has been MP for Central Devon since 2010.

He narrowly avoided losing his seat at the general election earlier this year, beating Labour by just 61 votes.

Other key appointments in Kemi Badenoch’s shadow cabinet include Dame Priti Patel as Shadow Foreign Secretary, Laura Trott as Shadow Education Secretary, Chris Philp as Shadow Home Secretary and Robert Jenrick as Shadow Justice Secretary.