Prime Minister Theresa May has unveiled a nearly completely new look cabinet, in a major departure from predecessor David Cameron’s top team.
George Osborne, Michael Gove, John Whittingdale, Nicky Morgan and Oliver Letwin have all been sacked by Mrs May.
Liz Truss is justice secretary, Justine Greening takes education and Tory leadership contender Andrea Leadsom has been promoted to environment secretary.
Boris Johnson became foreign secretary. Philip Hammond was made chancellor.
Eurosceptic David Davis, meanwhile, will take charge of negotiating Britain’s exit from the European Union, in a newly created post of Brexit secretary.
In another new post announced on Wednesday, Liam Fox was appointed as the new international trade secretary. Amber Rudd – formerly the energy secretary – took over Mrs May’s former role as home secretary.
The current male-female ratio of the cabinet remains roughly the same – at 70% to 30%, while there are 16 cabinet members, including Mrs May, who backed Remain, and seven who campaigned for Brexit.
Just four cabinet positions have stayed in the same hands: Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns and Scottish Secretary David Mundell.
‘Impressive ruthlessness’
Former Conservative Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind praised the “ruthless” way Mrs May has appointed her top team, saying it showed strong leadership and “strategic” vision.
“She has not only got a strategy to balance the Leave and Remain sides, she is trying to eliminate these distinctions because we are all now aiming for the same objective. She has appointed with a ruthlessness that has been impressive to look at,” he told the BBC.
“The decision that most surprised me was George Osborne – not that he ceased to be chancellor – but it appears she wasn’t even willing to offer him a job in government…. he is a very impressive heavyweight.”
Sir Malcolm, who was a minister under Margaret Thatcher and John Major, said Boris Johnson’s appointment as foreign secretary was “risky” because the qualities that make him popular with the public did not necessarily make him a good diplomat.
mmond, Michael Fallon, Liam Fox and Amber Rudd (clockwise from top left)
There were some big promotions for Home Office ministers James Brokenshire and Karen Bradley, who were appointed Northern Ireland secretary and culture, media and sport secretary, respectively.
Damian Green, a former justice and Home Office minister, was elevated to work and pensions secretary, while Brexit campaigner and ex-work and pensions minister Priti Patel was promoted to international development secretary.
There were also some resignations. Tory leadership contender and Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb stepped down from government “in the best interests of my family”, while Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers resigned after turning down the offer of another role.
In other developments:
- Patrick McLoughlin was moved from transport secretary to Conservative Party chairman
- Sajid Javid – formerly business secretary – is now the communities and local government secretary
- Chris Grayling – who was Mrs May’s leadership campaign chief – takes up the post of transport secretary. He was previously Commons leader
- Baroness Evans has taken up the post of Leader of the House of Lords
- Former policing and justice minister Damian Green becomes work and pensions secretary – replacing Stephen Crabb who resigned
- Attorney General Jeremy Wright – who attends cabinet – stayed in his post
- Gavin Williamson, a former parliamentary private secretary to David Cameron, was appointed government chief whip
- The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills becomes the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) department – led by Greg Clark, formerly communities and local government secretary
- As a result, the Department for Energy and Climate Change has been scrapped, its brief folded into BEIS
- The Department for Education will take on higher and further education, skills and apprenticeships, bringing it together so there is a comprehensive end-to-end view of skills and education
- Attorney General Jeremy Wright – who attends cabinet – stayed in his post
- Gavin Williamson, a former parliamentary private secretary to David Cameron, was appointed government chief whip
- The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills becomes the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) department – led by Greg Clark, formerly communities and local government secretary
- As a result, the Department for Energy and Climate Change has been scrapped, its brief folded into BEIS
- The Department for Education will take on higher and further education, skills and apprenticeships, bringing it together so there is a comprehensive end-to-end view of skills and education
