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Gavin Williamson out as education secretary as cabinet reshuffle begins – UK politics live Dominic Raab moved from Foreign Office and Gavin Williamson out in cabinet reshuffle – UK politics live
(32 minutes later)
Latest updates: education secretary followed out of cabinet by justice secretary Robert Buckland and housing secretary Robert Jenrick Foreign secretary, education secretary, Robert Buckland and Robert Jenrick lose roles; Priti Patel and Rishi Sunak keep posts
These are from ITV’s Robert Peston.
Priti Patel is staying as home secretary, my colleague Jessica Elgot reports.
UPDATE: No 10 has just confirmed this.
Rishi Sunak is staying as chancellor, No 10 has confirmed. No one thought he wasn’t.
Downing Street has confirmed that Robert Buckland, Robert Jenrick and Gavin Williamson have all been sacked. A spokesperson said they have all “now left government”. The spokesperson went on:
Downing Street has confirmed that Dominic Raab is becoming justice secretary and deputy PM. It says the Queen has approved his appointment as “deputy prime minister, lord chancellor, and secretary of state for justice”.
He seems to have lost the first secretary of state title, but arguably deputy PM is just a fancier version of first secretary of state.
Most cabinets have someone seen as the de facto deputy PM, but very few people had the job as a formal title. The last person was Nick Clegg. Because of the nature of the coalition, he had some clout. If he had gone, he could have collapsed the coalition. For other people, the title has been more cosmetic. Geoffrey Howe was made deputy prime minister when (like Raab) he was moved from foreign secretary. Howe also had another, more junior job (leader of the Commons). Being deputy prime minister sounded important, but Bernard Ingham, Margaret Thatcher’s press secretary, briefed that the title was essentially meaningless.
Dominic Raab is moving from foreign secretary to justice secretary, the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg reports.
That would be a demotion.
But she also says he is being made deputy prime minister, as well as retaining his first secretary of state title, which arguably would count as a promotion.
UPDATE: The Spectator’s James Forsyth has heard the same.
These are from ITV’s Carl Dinnen.These are from ITV’s Carl Dinnen.
And this was from the FT’s Sebastian Payne a few minutes ago.And this was from the FT’s Sebastian Payne a few minutes ago.
Amanda Milling has refused to say if she has been sacked, Sky’s Jon Craig reports.Amanda Milling has refused to say if she has been sacked, Sky’s Jon Craig reports.
Sky’s Jon Craig thinks Amanda Milling may be sacked from her post as Conservative party co-chair.Sky’s Jon Craig thinks Amanda Milling may be sacked from her post as Conservative party co-chair.
Harriet Harman, the former Labour deputy leader and chair of the joint committee on human rights, has paid tribute to Robert Buckland.Harriet Harman, the former Labour deputy leader and chair of the joint committee on human rights, has paid tribute to Robert Buckland.
And Jess Phillips, the shadow minister of domestic violence, has complimented Buckland too.And Jess Phillips, the shadow minister of domestic violence, has complimented Buckland too.
I may have missed them, but I have not seen tweets from Labour MPs saying anything similar about Gavin Williamson or Robert Jenrick.I may have missed them, but I have not seen tweets from Labour MPs saying anything similar about Gavin Williamson or Robert Jenrick.
These are from Danny Shaw, the former BBC home affairs correspondent, on the departure of Robert Buckland.These are from Danny Shaw, the former BBC home affairs correspondent, on the departure of Robert Buckland.
The Times’ Henry Zeffman says the big losers from the reshuffle so far were all key Boris Johnson supporters in the past.The Times’ Henry Zeffman says the big losers from the reshuffle so far were all key Boris Johnson supporters in the past.
(Eventually Johnson ends up letting down almost everyone, although of course there is much to be said for a PM not letting personal loyalty get in the way get in the way of appointing the best ministers.)(Eventually Johnson ends up letting down almost everyone, although of course there is much to be said for a PM not letting personal loyalty get in the way get in the way of appointing the best ministers.)
Why was Robert Jenrick forced out? His sacking was probably more in the Gavin Williamson mode than the Robert Buckland mode. (See 2.26pm.) Although loyal to Boris Johnson, and said to be well regarded by his wife Carrie, Jenrick has been associated with a series of gaffes or scandals, and was seen as lucky to keep his job after intervening in a planning decision to help the billionaire Tory donor Richard Desmond. Jenrick’s move was subsequently ruled unlawful.Why was Robert Jenrick forced out? His sacking was probably more in the Gavin Williamson mode than the Robert Buckland mode. (See 2.26pm.) Although loyal to Boris Johnson, and said to be well regarded by his wife Carrie, Jenrick has been associated with a series of gaffes or scandals, and was seen as lucky to keep his job after intervening in a planning decision to help the billionaire Tory donor Richard Desmond. Jenrick’s move was subsequently ruled unlawful.
Jenrick is also in charge of the planning bill. But his initial plans to create a presumption in favour of development in some areas have horrified green belt Tories, and a rethink is now underway.Jenrick is also in charge of the planning bill. But his initial plans to create a presumption in favour of development in some areas have horrified green belt Tories, and a rethink is now underway.
Robert Jenrick has been sacked from his post as housing, communities and local government secretary.Robert Jenrick has been sacked from his post as housing, communities and local government secretary.
From the Sun’s Harry ColeFrom the Sun’s Harry Cole
Two cabinet ministers have been sacked now, but the circumstances of their departure are very different.
Gavin Williamson was widely expected to go as education secretary because his performance in the post was seen as seen as poor, and at time disastrous. He has regularly come bottom, by a long way, in the ConservativeHome survey of how party members rank the performance of cabinet ministers. Here are the latest ratings.
According to Sky, Williamson was offered an alternative post by Boris Johnson, but refused to take a demotion.
Robert Buckland is different. In a cabinet not seen as one of history’s ablest or most impressive, he was regarded as a solid performer, and Conservative party members were relatively pleased with his performance.
But Buckland’s problem may have been that he was dispensable. He voted remain, and unlike other cabinet remainers, has never pretended to go through an ideological conversion to the Vote Leave cause. Although liked by colleagues, he does not have supporters likely to cause trouble if he leaves the government. And, unlike some in government, he did not seem keen on waging war on the judiciary. The Conservative manifesto proposed limiting the scope of judicial review, as part of an attack on what Tories describe as “judicial activism”, but Buckland, a QC himself, only seemed to have limited enthusiasm for this. He appointed an independent commission to consider the issue, but it ended up proposing just limited reforms.
Buckland may also have been a bed-blocker, because there is speculation that Johnson wanted him out so he could offer his job to Dominic Raab.
Robert Buckland confirms he has been sacked from his post as justice secretary.
His tweet makes it clear that he is definitely leaving the government.
These are from Branwen Jeffreys, the BBC’s education editor, on Gavin Williamson.
Boris Johnson is now back at No 10, according to Steve Back, who tweets as @PoliticalPics.
Robert Buckland is being moved from his post as justice secretary, Sky suggests.
From ITV’s Robert Peston
Gavin Williamson has confirmed he is no longer education secretary.
The line in the second tweet about “continuing to support the prime minister and the government” implies that Williamson is returning to the backbenches, but he has not said that explicitly. Williamson expected to be moved, but reportedly was angling for another job, such as leader of the Commons, or Northern Ireland secretary.
The current co-party chair is Amanda Milling, and she has been seen not far from the PM’s office in the Commons, the Times’ Eleni Courea. Milling has been tipped for a move.
Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccine deployment minister, has arrived in the Commons, the Sun’s Harry Cole reports. Zahawi is tipped for promotion - possibly to Conservative party chair.
Here is more on what might be happening to Dominic Raab.