Politics lee anderson nigel farage Reform UK
Nigel Farage just announced his pretend ‘shadow cabinet’ and the joke is very much on Lee Anderson
Spare a thought – only kidding! – for former Conservative Party deputy chair turned Reform UK-er Lee Anderson after Nigel Farage’s announcement today of his pretend ‘shadow cabinet’.
We say pretend because only the leader of the opposition can have a shadow cabinet and Farage is still very far off that (at least, outside of his own head).
So they don’t have shadows, they have spokespeople, as 30p Lee was very keen to point out a little while ago in his characteristically kind and generous style.
Thicko alert. We cannot possibly have a shadow cabinet, we have spokespersons. I was made DWP Spokesperson last year. Carry on being a useful idiot for the Tory party, but you won’t get that safe seat you want. They’re laughing at you.
— Lee Anderson MP (@LeeAndersonMP_) January 24, 2026
And yet, less than a month later and here is Nigel Farage announcing his – you’ll never guess – shadow cabinet! And you’ll never guess who’s not in it (yes you will).
🚨 BREAKING: Nigel Farage has announced Reform’s first Shadow Cabinet in full
Chancellor – Robert Jenrick
Deputy PM and Energy, Business, Trade and Housing – Richard Tice
Home Secretary – Zia Yusuf
Education, Skills and Equalities – Suella Braverman pic.twitter.com/yu1cPFLrs4— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) February 17, 2026
And these people felt just as sorry for Anderson as we did.
1.
Spare a thought for poor @LeeAndersonMP_
Overlooked & deemed too stupid to be in Reform’s make-believe “Shadow Cabinet”
Odds on him swallowing his pride, apologising for his behaviour towards @RupertLowe10 & defecting to @RestoreBritain_ ?
He’s got one defection left in him
— Jim Cognito (@JimCognito2016) February 17, 2026
2.
He had seven MPs to fill 22 positions and left four of them sitting in the audience. 😂
Anderson, Pochin, Kruger and Rosindell must be so happy about that.
Yikes! https://t.co/kmrgqwqhv2
— Don McGowan (@donmcgowan) February 17, 2026
3.
Tea boy – Lee Anderson.
— Rameses Niblick III (@TheLittleWaster) February 17, 2026
4.
You can’t be a “shadow cabinet” if you only have 8 MPs.
That’s hardly even a shelf.
— Jacob Collier MP (@JacobCollierMP) February 17, 2026
5.
There’s one good thing to come out of the Nigel Farage ‘Shadow cabinet’ vanity announcements. Lee Anderson will be so pissed off he’ll have a face like a melted welly.#SkyNews #BBCBreakfast pic.twitter.com/K66xxSnX53
— Alethea Bernard (@Tush27J) February 17, 2026
6.
50% of this ‘shadow cabinet’ consists of the exact same people who couldn’t do their jobs in an actual cabinet
— David (@Zero_4) February 17, 2026
7.
Poor Lee, the thicko just can’t catch a break. https://t.co/vxy21XVKDK
— Jim Cognito (@JimCognito2016) February 17, 2026
8.
More of a bedside cabinet than a Shadow Cabinet!!! 🤣
— Rik_W 🇬🇧🏴🇳🇱🇩🇪🇮🇪 (@Rik_w2010) February 17, 2026
9.
Our friend @LeeAndersonMP_ speaks truth and also isn’t in the pretend shadow cabinet lmao https://t.co/zwK40CO8jo pic.twitter.com/87QgGzk4wR
— Chris (@BreadandRosette) February 17, 2026
10.
Lee Anderson must be itching to defect to Restore Britain.
— Withnail Jones (@withnailjones) February 16, 2026
To conclude …
50% of this ‘shadow cabinet’ consists of the exact same people who couldn’t do their jobs in an actual cabinet
— David (@Zero_4) February 17, 2026
And also.
Can the media politely stop calling these Reform appointments “Shadow Cabinet”.
They don’t “Shadow” anything. They are spokespeople.
Shadow Ministers have roles to oppose the government at the despatch box and formally scrutinise govt business. @TimesRadio 👀
— Ed McGuinness (@EJ_McGuinness) February 17, 2026
Apparently Anderson hasn’t tweeted for 24 hours at the time of writing, prompting speculation that Farage told him about it last night. More when we have it!
When I find myself in times of trouble, Jenrick’s promoted over me, I’m completely fucking useless, 30p 🎶 pic.twitter.com/kI5P70J3rd
— Fi 🇪🇺 (@rahhead01) February 17, 2026
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