The former Conservative MP for Carlisle has backed the announcement of Mel Stride as the party’s new shadow Chancellor.

John Stevenson was MP for Carlisle from 2010 until 2024 when he lost his seat to Labour’s Julie Minns in the recent general election.

The election saw the end of the end of the Conservative government and Rishi Sunak stood down as leader of the party.

After a lengthy leadership election process, Kemi Badenoch was elected as leader of the Conservative Party, becoming the fourth woman to do so and the first black person to be leader of a major British political party.

Since her victory on Saturday, Ms Badenoch has been collating her shadow cabinet. Robert Jenrick has accepted a role as shadow justice secretary while Dame Priti Patel will serve as shadow foreign secretary and Mel Stride as shadow chancellor.

All three ran as candidates against Ms Badenoch in the race to succeed Rishi Sunak but other leadership contender, Tom Tugendhat has yet to be appointed to a position.

The move has been backed by John Stevenson who described it as a ‘very good appointment’.

In a statement on social media, Mr Stevenson said: “Delighted to see Mel Stride as new a shadow chancellor - a very good appointment.”

In one of his first acts as the new shadow chancellor, Mel Stride claimed the Labour Party had breached its manifesto as a result of the policy which was set out in the Chancellor’s Budget last week.

From next April, employers will have to pay national insurance at 15 per cent on salaries above £5,000, instead of 13.8 per cent on salaries above £9,100 currently.

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Mr Stride said: “The party opposite, the Government, in the last election said they would be ushering in a new form of politics. One based on transparency and integrity.

“And when they were pressed as to what they would be doing in terms of tax rises, they ruled out a large number of taxes, and one of those was national insurance.”

“And yet, just some short weeks later, in this Budget, what has happened? We have seen employers’ national insurance raised, a direct contravention, breach of their manifesto.”

Labour have said that the tax rise is necessary to help fill the ‘black hole’ at the heart of the country’s finances.