Aces, Knaves or Jokers?
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reshuffling his Cabinet.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has been sacked and former Foreign Secretary Domic Raab has paid the price for his role in the Afghanistan withdrawal debacle. Raab is replaced by Liz Truss, while Nadhim Zahawi is also promoted – he takes over at Education.
Robert Jenrick (Housing and Communities) and Robert Buckland (Lord Advocate and Secretary of State for Justice) have left the government.
Further junior ministerial appointments will be announced today, but changes so far (marked with an asterisk) are as follows:
Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, and Minister for the Union
- Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP
HM Treasury
- Chancellor of the Exchequer – Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP
- Chief Secretary to the Treasury – Simon Clarke MP
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Offic8e
- Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, and Minister for Women and Equalities – Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP *
- Minister of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – Rt Hon Amanda Milling MP
- Minister of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Minister for Equalities) – Kemi Badenoch MP
Home Office
- Secretary of State for the Home Department – Rt Hon Priti Patel MP
- Minister of State – Kit Malthouse MP (jointly with the Ministry of Justice)
Cabinet Office
- Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office – Rt Hon Stephen Barclay MP
- Minister of State – The Rt Hon Lord Frost CMG
- COP26 President – Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP
- Minister without Portfolio – Rt Hon Oliver Dowden CBE MP *
- Minister of State – Nigel Adams MP
Ministry of Justice
- Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor, and Secretary of State for Justice – Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP *
- Minister of State – Kit Malthouse MP (jointly with the Home Office)
Ministry of Defence
- Secretary of State for Defence – Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP
Department for International Trade
- Secretary of State for International Trade, and President of the Board of Trade – Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP
Department of Health and Social Care
- Secretary of State for Health and Social Care – The Rt Hon Sajid Javid
Department for Work and Pensions
- Secretary of State for Work and Pensions – Rt Hon Dr Thérèse Coffey MP
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
- Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy – Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP
- Minister of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy – Rt Hon Greg Hands MP
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
- Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government – Rt Hon Michael Gove MP *
- Minister of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Minister for Equalities) – Kemi Badenoch MP
Department for Education
- Secretary of State for Education – Nadhim Zahawi MP *
- Minister of State – Michelle Donelan MP
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
- Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport – Nadine Dorries MP *
- Minister of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport – Julia Lopez MP
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – Rt Hon George Eustice MP
- Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – Victoria Prentis MP
Department for Transport
- Secretary of State for Transport – Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP
Northern Ireland Office
- Secretary of State for Northern Ireland – Rt Hon Brandon Lewis CBE MP
Scotland Office
- Secretary of State for Scotland – Rt Hon Alister Jack MP
Wales Office
- Secretary of State for Wales – Rt Hon Simon Hart MP
Office of the Leader of the House of Lords
- Lord Privy Seal, and Leader of the House of Lords – Rt Hon Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
Office of the Leader of the House of Commons
- Lord President of the Council, and Leader of the House of Commons – Rt Hon Jacob Rees-Mogg MP
Whips – House of Commons
- Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip) – Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP
Law Officers
- Attorney General – Rt Hon Suella Braverman MP
The following have left the government:
- Rt Hon Gavin Williamson CBE MP – previously Secretary of State for Education
- Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP – previously Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
- Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP – previously Lord Chancellor, and Secretary of State for Justice
Yesterday’s announcements coincidentally (?) overshadowed an important Westminster debate on social security and the cut to Universal Credit.
Peter Matejic, Deputy Director of Evidence & Impact at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: “No Government committed to levelling up can credibly defend the biggest ever overnight cut to social security.
“As bills are going up, cost of essential items are rising and National Insurance is set to be increased, ministers are ploughing ahead with a damaging cut to Universal Credit which is fiercely opposed across the political spectrum.
“The Government is reportedly planning to ignore its own analysis which shows how catastrophic this cut would be. No good will come of cutting Universal Credit by £20-a-week. All it would do is impose unnecessary hardship on millions of low-income families and hurt the very communities the Government wants to level up.
“Ministers have nothing to say to the many families who are unable to work or are not expected to work due to sickness, disability or caring responsibilities who are facing this massive income shock.
We all need an adequate social security system and, for those who are already in work or looking for a job, a bold Plan for Jobs, if we are to improve living standards. The Prime Minister knows this and it’s not too late for him to keep this vital lifeline strong.”
Helen Barnard, Deputy Director of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: “Today’s debate makes clear that the Prime Minister and Chancellor are increasingly isolated in supporting the cut to Universal Credit.
“There is widespread concern amongst MPs about the devastating impact this will have on huge numbers of their constituents and new ministers are certain to face intense pressure from families anxious about how they will make ends meet from next month.
“The £20-a-week increase to Universal Credit is vital to protect families from poverty and provide the stability they need to improve their prospects.
“As energy bills go up, prices on the shelves rise and National Insurance is set to increase, the Prime Minister must urgently keep this support in place, or his premiership risks being defined by plunging people into poverty rather than levelling up.”
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