The new prime minister, Rishi Sunak has this afternoon begun working to appoint his new cabinet.
So far, some fourteen cabinet ministers are known to be leaving their positions. This is more than previously expected, making this a very substantial government reshuffle. The departure of this many cabinet ministers has provided Mr Sunak with the opportunity to create a top team that is in his own image.
In doing so, Mr Sunak has appointed Dominic Raab as justice secretary and deputy prime minister, the same role that he had under Boris Johnson. Michael Gove has returned to the Cabinet, being reappointed as Levelling Up Secretary, again the role that he previously held under Boris Johnson.
Continuing the theme, Steve Barclay returns as health secretary, the post he previously held until Liz Truss became prime minister in September.
Jeremy Hunt is to remain as chancellor of the exchequer, James Cleverly as foreign secretary, and Ben Wallace as defence secretary.
In a move which is likely to attract the short term attention of opposition parties, Suella Braverman who resigned as home secretary only last Wednesday following a minor breach of the ministerial code, has now been reappointed to the role.
Nadhim Zahawi has moved to become chair of the Conservative party chairman. Grant Shapps moves to the role of Business Secretary. Simon Hart, the former welsh secretary, has been given the job of government chief whip.
Mel Stride, who ran Rishi Sunak’s leadership campaign, has been appointed as the secretary of state for work and pensions. Mark Harper, another part of Mr Sunak’s leadership team, has been appointed as the new secretary of state for transport.
Victoria Prentis, a long time personal friend of Mr Sunak, has been appointed as the government’s new Attorney General. Another Sunak ally, John Glen, who previously served under Mr Sunak at the treasury, has been made Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
Gillian Keegan has been appointed as Secretary of State for education, entering the cabinet for the first time. Aptly dressed for the role, Ms Keegan arrived at Downing Street to receive her appointment with a satchel on her back.
Theresa Coffey has moved from heath secretary to environment secretary.
David Davies has been made secretary of state for Wales. Alongside Dominic Raab, he becomes the second amateur boxer to be appointed to the Sunak cabinet.
Gavin Williamson previously regarded as something of a rasputin figure after his previous time as government chief whip, one where he had a tarantula on his desk, has been made a minister of state at the cabinet office who will attend cabinet.
Those departing the cabinet include the former business secretary, Jacob Rees Mogg; the conservative party chairman, Sir Jake Berry; and the education secretary, Kit Malthouse. All three men were known for their closeness to the former prime minister, Boris Johnson.
The levelling up secretary, Simon Clarke, has also left his post. Mr Clarke previously served as Mr Sunak’s deputy in the treasury during the covid pandemic, but he subsequently and quickly endorsed Liz Truss in the summer’s conservative leadership race.
The largely unknown environment secretary, Ranil Jayawardena, another Johnson loyalist who was appointed by Mr Johnson in the summer, has also resigned from the government.
Two close allies of Liz Truss, work and pensions secretary, Chloe Smith, and the government chief whip, Wendy Morton, are both leaving the cabinet.
Brandon Lewis who has had a sustained career at the top of the conservative party, having previously served as conservative party chairman under Theresa May has also resigned. Alok Sharma, will retain his role as President of the COP26, but is now not going to attend cabinet.
The international development minister, Vicky Ford, who attended cabinet, has also tweeted to say that she is leaving the government.
Attorney General Michael Ellis, chief secretary to the treasury, Edward Argar, and transport secretary, Anne Marie Trevelyan have also been replaced in their roles.
Finally, welsh secretary, Robert Buckland is standing down at his own request. Mr Buckland was thought a likely casualty of any Sunak reshuffle, given how he defected from Mr Sunak’s team to that of Liz Truss during the summer’s conservative party leadership contest.
A full list of the cabinet appointments announced so far is as follows:
Prime Minister – Rishi Sunak MP
Secretary of State for Justice, and Deputy Prime Minister – Dominic Raab CBE MP
Chancellor of the Exchequer – Jeremy Hunt MP
Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs – James Cleverly MP
Secretary of State for the Home Department – Suella Braverman QC MP
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Government Chief Whip – Simon Hart MP
Secretary of State for Defence – Ben Wallace MP
Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy – Grant Shapps MP
Secretary of State for Education – Gillian Keegan MP
Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade – Kemi Badenoch MP
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions – Mel Stride MP
Secretary of State for Transport – Mark Harper MP
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – Therese Coffey MP
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport – Michelle Donelan MP
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland – Chris Heaton-Harris MP
Secretary of State for Scotland – Alister Jack MP
Secretary of State for Scotland – David Davies MP
Cabinet Office Minister – Oliver Dowden MP
Chief Secretary to the Treasury – John Glen MP
Lord President of the Council, and Leader of the House of Commons – The Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP
Leader of the House of Lords – Lord True
Secretary of State for Levelling Up – Michael Gove MP
Minister without Portfolio (Chairman of the Conservative Party) – Nadhim Zahawi MP
Attorney General – Victoria Prentis MP
Paymaster General – Jeremy Quinn MP
Security Minister – Tom Tugendhat MP
Minister for Veterans – Johnny Mercer MP
Minister of State for the Cabinet Office – Gavin Williamson MP
Minister for Development – Andrew Mitchell MP
