Editing David Willetts (section)

==Shadow Cabinet==
Despite the resignation, Willetts was able to return to the shadow front bench a few years later while [[William Hague]] was Leader of the Opposition, initially serving in the [[Shadow Cabinet]] as Shadow Education Secretary before becoming Shadow Social Security (later Shadow Work and Pensions) Secretary.  He carved out a reputation as an expert on pensions and benefits. Since leaving the DWP post, he has been recruited as an external consultant by the actuaries [[Punter Southall]].{{cn|date=May 2024}}

Following the 2005 election, he served as  [[Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry]] in the Shadow Cabinet under [[Michael Howard]]. In August 2005, after ruling out running for leader owing to a lack of support, commentators speculated that he was gunning for the post of [[Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer]] and would cut a deal with either [[David Davis (British politician)|David Davis]] or [[David Cameron]]. On 15 September he confirmed his support for Davis, at that time the [[bookies]]' favourite. Willetts, a centrist moderniser, went to ground following the announcement of the Davis tax plan since it was widely speculated that he disagreed with the seemingly uncosted and widely derided<ref>{{cite news |author-link=Daniel Finkelstein |first=Daniel |last=Finkelstein |title=A David Davis guide to fiscal strategy: two and two make... um, er...|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/a-david-davis-guide-to-fiscal-strategy-two-and-two-make-um-er-q750x6pkt22|access-date=7 August 2020 |newspaper=The Times |date=2 November 2005 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> tax plan and found it impossible to defend. Davis then lost the candidacy race to Cameron.

Following Cameron's win, Willetts was appointed [[Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Skills]] in Cameron's first Shadow Cabinet in December 2005, the role Cameron had vacated, later becoming Shadow [[Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills]]. His title became Shadow Minister for Universities and Skills since [[Gordon Brown]]'s merger of the [[Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills]] with the [[Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform]] into the [[Department for Business, Innovation and Skills]] in June 2009.

On 19 May 2007, Willetts made a controversial speech on [[grammar school]]s in which he defended the existing Conservative Party policy of not reintroducing grammar schools. The speech received a mixed reception. The analysis was applauded by ''The Guardian'' and ''[[The Times]]''.<ref name="guardian2007"/><ref>{{cite news |author=Anatole Kaletsky |title=Lesson one: get the yobs out of the classroom |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/anatole_kaletsky/article1832196.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202150220/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/anatole_kaletsky/article1832196.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 December 2008 |access-date=19 August 2010 |newspaper=The Times |date=24 May 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Daniel Finkelstein |url=http://timesonline.typepad.com/comment/2007/05/fisking_janet_d_1.html |title=Fisking Janet Daley|work=The Times |date=21 May 2007 |access-date=5 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709221143/http://timesonline.typepad.com/comment/2007/05/fisking_janet_d_1.html |archive-date=9 July 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Daniel Finkelstein |url=http://timesonline.typepad.com/comment/2007/05/are_david_camer.html |title=Do Cameron's critics really want grammar schools? |work=The Times |date=22 May 2007 |access-date=5 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709221149/http://timesonline.typepad.com/comment/2007/05/are_david_camer.html |archive-date=9 July 2011 }}</ref> However, ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' was strongly critical of the speech, which was unpopular with some Conservative Party activists.<ref>{{cite news |author=Janet Daley |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3640014/When-did-wanting-the-best-for-your-children-become-a-crime.html |title=When did wanting the best for your children become a crime? |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|location=London |date=21 May 2007 |access-date=5 June 2011}}</ref> The speech was made more controversial when [[David Cameron]] weighed into the argument, backing Willetts' speech and describing his critics as "delusional", accusing them of "splashing around in the shallow end of the educational debate" and of "clinging on to outdated mantras that bear no relation to the reality of life".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6679005.stm |title=Cameron steps up grammars attack |work=BBC News |date=22 May 2007 |access-date=19 August 2010}}</ref>

The Department for Education and Skills was abolished by the new [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]], [[Gordon Brown]], who established two new departments. On 2 July 2007, Cameron reshuffled Willetts down to the junior of the two departments: the [[Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills]].