After serving in various ministerial positions, including Foreign Affairs, Global Development, Education and Health under Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown from 2001 to 2010, Lewis was Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport until October 2011, when he was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for International Development. In the October 2013 Shadow Cabinet reshuffle, he became Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when Jeremy Corbyn became Labour leader in September 2015 he sacked Lewis by text message.