Kemi Badenoch puts Priti Patel BACK on front bench as she assembles shadow cabinet before 1st face off with Keir

TWO leadership rivals have been appointed to Kemi Badenoch’s top team in a bid to unite the party.

The Tory leader brings in Mel Stride as shadow Chancellor and Priti Patel taking the foreign affairs brief following the long internal election battle.

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Mel Stride takes up the position of Shadow Chancellor in Kemi Badenoch’s top team[/caption]

Patel has served in several governments and most recently was Home Secretary under Boris Johnson with Stride serving as Welfare Secretary under Rishi Sunak.

They were both knocked out before the final four tried to win over party members at the Tory annual conference.

There had been speculation that Andrew Griffith would take up the role of shadow Chancellor.

The full line-up will be unveiled before hosting her first Shadow Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Laura Trott was also appointed to the frontbench team as Shadow Education Secretary.

She also appointed ex-Treasury Minister Nigel Huddleston and Lord Dominic Johnson as joint chairmen of the Conservatives.

Ms Badenoch’s first appointment of her Shadow Cabinet was Rebecca Harris as the party’s chief whip.

The Castle Point MP, who replaces Stuart Andrew, will have to maintain party discipline and try ensure MPs vote as the leader would like them to.