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Truss replaces Raab in reshuffle as Zahawi gets education role following Williamson’s exit – UK politics live Truss replaces Raab in reshuffle as Zahawi gets education role following Williamson’s exit – UK politics live
(32 minutes later)
Michael Gove new housing secretary, Nadhim Zahawi gets reward for vaccine role; Nadine Dorries new culture secretary; Buckland and Jenrick outMichael Gove new housing secretary, Nadhim Zahawi gets reward for vaccine role; Nadine Dorries new culture secretary; Buckland and Jenrick out
Anne-Marie Trevelyan has been appointed international trade secretary, No 10 has announced.
She used to sit in cabinet as international development secretary until Boris Johnson merged the department with the Foreign Office last year. When her job disappeared she became a business minister, at minister of state level, and so this is a clear promotion.
Conservative MPs warned Boris Johnson against “hastily” reducing universal credit (UC) for millions of families, as the House of Commons backed a motion to cancel the cut, PA Media reports. PA says:
The Commons division list shows that four Conservative MPs voted for the Labour motion. They were: Peter Aldous, Neil Hudson, John Stevenson and William Wragg.
Stephen Barclay is the new Cabinet Office minister and chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster. He is replacing Michael Gove, who is now housing secretary. Barclay was chief secretary to the Treasury.
Here is reaction to Nadhim Zahawi’s appointment as education secretary from three education specialists.Here is reaction to Nadhim Zahawi’s appointment as education secretary from three education specialists.
From Mark Leach, founder of Wonkhe, a higher education policy websiteFrom Mark Leach, founder of Wonkhe, a higher education policy website
From Sam Freedman, a former Department for Education official who is now an education writer and adviser to Ark SchoolsFrom Sam Freedman, a former Department for Education official who is now an education writer and adviser to Ark Schools
From Laura McInerney, co-founder of the Teacher Tapp appFrom Laura McInerney, co-founder of the Teacher Tapp app
Ben Wallace is staying as defence secretary, No 10 says.Ben Wallace is staying as defence secretary, No 10 says.
Nadhim Zahawi has been promoted to education secretary. He was vaccine deployment minister until today, and he has previously served in DfE as minister for children and families when Theresa May was PM.Nadhim Zahawi has been promoted to education secretary. He was vaccine deployment minister until today, and he has previously served in DfE as minister for children and families when Theresa May was PM.
The BBC’s director of news has defended the corporation’s impartiality and criticised the abuse directed at a former UK Huffpost editor and experienced broadcast journalist who has just been appointed to a senior editorial post.The corporation announced the appointment of Jess Brammar, who will run the corporation’s rolling news channels, despite the attempts of a board member with ties to Downing Street to block the move on political grounds.The journalist, who had also worked as acting editor of Newsnight, had also faced months of attacks in Conservative media outlets after she emerged as the leading candidate for the role.Her appointment as executive editor, BBC news channels, comes despite a highly-unusual intervention by Sir Robbie Gibb, a former director of communications to Theresa May who was appointed to the BBC Board by the government earlier this year. In a leaked text message obtained by the Financial Times, Gibb said in June the BBC “cannot make this appointment” if they want to retain the support of the government.In an email to BBC staff on Wednesday, Fran Unsworth, the BBC’s director of news and current affairs, wrote that the appointment had been made “through fair and open competition” and added that she wanted to address some points. She went on:The BBC’s director of news has defended the corporation’s impartiality and criticised the abuse directed at a former UK Huffpost editor and experienced broadcast journalist who has just been appointed to a senior editorial post.The corporation announced the appointment of Jess Brammar, who will run the corporation’s rolling news channels, despite the attempts of a board member with ties to Downing Street to block the move on political grounds.The journalist, who had also worked as acting editor of Newsnight, had also faced months of attacks in Conservative media outlets after she emerged as the leading candidate for the role.Her appointment as executive editor, BBC news channels, comes despite a highly-unusual intervention by Sir Robbie Gibb, a former director of communications to Theresa May who was appointed to the BBC Board by the government earlier this year. In a leaked text message obtained by the Financial Times, Gibb said in June the BBC “cannot make this appointment” if they want to retain the support of the government.In an email to BBC staff on Wednesday, Fran Unsworth, the BBC’s director of news and current affairs, wrote that the appointment had been made “through fair and open competition” and added that she wanted to address some points. She went on:
Nadine Dorries was a prolific user of Twitter before she became a minister, and her back catalogue will make interesting reading now that she is culture secretary.Nadine Dorries was a prolific user of Twitter before she became a minister, and her back catalogue will make interesting reading now that she is culture secretary.
Here is a tweet from December 2017, suggesting that the “war on woke” launched by Oliver Dowden when he was secretary is likely to continue.Here is a tweet from December 2017, suggesting that the “war on woke” launched by Oliver Dowden when he was secretary is likely to continue.
And she posted this about the BBC in March 2018. Again, this suggests continuity with the Dowden regime. See 10.30am.And she posted this about the BBC in March 2018. Again, this suggests continuity with the Dowden regime. See 10.30am.
No 10 has confirmed that Nadine Dorries is the new culture secretary. (See 4.36pm.)No 10 has confirmed that Nadine Dorries is the new culture secretary. (See 4.36pm.)
And No 10 has confirmed that Oliver Dowden will be minister without portfolio in the Cabinet Office. That is the government title that Amanda Milling had alongside her party title as co-chair. Dowden is reportedly becoming Tory co-chair too.And No 10 has confirmed that Oliver Dowden will be minister without portfolio in the Cabinet Office. That is the government title that Amanda Milling had alongside her party title as co-chair. Dowden is reportedly becoming Tory co-chair too.
No 10 has confirmed that Mark Spencer is staying as chief whip.No 10 has confirmed that Mark Spencer is staying as chief whip.
The FT’s Jim Pickard has posted a tweet implying you could see this as a ratings-related reshuffle, or one that seemed to give party members the final say.
(But the thesis does not quite work because he has not included Robert Buckland.)
Oliver Dowden, the culture secretary, is going to replace Amanda Milling as Conservative party chair, or co-chair, the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg reports. Milling was doing the job alongside Ben Elliott, who is not an MP.
The key point in the reaction to the appointment of Dominic Raab to the justice brief from Derek Sweeting QC, chair of the Bar Council, lies in the last sentence, in which he calls for someone to make the position their own. He points out that Raab is the eighth lord chancellor in 10 turbulent years for the justice system.
Sweeting said:
Nadine Dorries may be the next culture secretary, the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg reports.
Dorries, currently a health minister, is a very successful fiction writer, which means she would be better qualified to represent the creative industries than many other people who have done that job. But she is also rightwing and pro-Brexit - two traits that might make her less welcome in the arts world.
Michael Gove is the new housing secretary, No 10 has announced. As well as being the new secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, he will also take on “cross-government responsibility for levelling up” while he “retains ministerial responsibility for the union and elections”.
He was at the Cabinet Office where he was Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
Michael Gove will move from the Cabinet Office to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which is also becoming the levelling-up department, the Telegraph’s Ben Riley-Smith reports.
This is from ITV’s Anushka Asthana on Liz Truss’s promotion.
And this is from the FT’s Philip Stephens. (King Charles Street is where the Foreign Office is based.)
Nadine Dorries, the health minister, and Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccine deployment minister, have gone in to Downing Street.
Zahawi has been tipped as the next party chair.
Sir Bob Neill, the Conservative chair of the Commons justice committee, thinks Robert Buckland did not deserve to be sacked, Sky’s Jon Craig reports.