LOYAL BACKERS (AND A FEW SURPRISES) IN PM’S TOP TEAM
DOMINIC RAAB Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister
Mr Raab’s stint on the backbenches following Liz Truss’s reshuffle was a brief one, having been rewarded for his loyalty to Rishi Sunak with a return to Government. The karate blackbelt and former Foreign Office lawyer will be given an opportunity to pick up where he left off under Boris Johnson, as Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary.
JEREMY HUNT Chancellor of the Exchequer
A vastly experienced minister across the many departments, Mr Hunt replaced Kwasi Kwarteng as Chancellor this month. He put in a measured performance from the Commons despatch box as he tore up Miss Truss’s tax-cutting plans, calming the markets.
Mr Hunt, the longest-serving health secretary in British political history, keeps his job and remains in No 11 Downing Street.
SUELLA BRAVERMAN Home Secretary
Mrs Braverman is a leading figure on the right of the party, and came out in support of Rishi Sunak during the latest leadership contest. She returns as Home Secretary, a week after she was forced out of Government for breaking the ministerial code after emailing a sensitive document from a personal account.
Often outspoken, she recently blamed eco-protests across the country on ‘the Guardian-reading, tofu-eating, wokerati’.
JAMES CLEVERLY Foreign Secretary
Mr Cleverly retains his job as Foreign Secretary – one of the great offices of state – despite being an old ally of Boris Johnson. In fact, Mr Cleverly publicly endorsed Mr Johnson for PM in the latest leadership race and had previously been a staunch backer of Liz Truss.
BEN WALLACE Defence Secretary
Retaining former soldier Mr Wallace as Defence Secretary is likely to be an attempt to soothe the military community amid growing unease over defence spending. The Sandhurst graduate has been in post for more than three years, making him one of the longest serving ministers to hold the same position.
STEVE BARCLAY Health Secretary
Mr Barclay returns to his job in Government having previously been sacked as Health Secretary as part of Liz Truss’s reshuffle. He previously held the role for two months and was memorably interrupted by a heckler while giving an interview outside a hospital. Mr Barclay worked with Rishi Sunak at the Treasury during the pandemic. He will be expected to get a grip on NHS spending.
NADHIM ZAHAWI Minister Without Portfolio
Mr Zahawi earned a reputation during the pandemic as a safe pair of hands and skilled media performer. But the former vaccine minister’s magic touch well and truly deserted him during the two recent Tory leadership races after a series of loyalty flip-flops.
OLIVER DOWDEN Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Mr Dowden now holds the most senior Cabinet position after the PM. The ex-Culture Secretary has been rewarded for his unwavering support during the leadership races. He quit as party chairman after taking responsibility for the Tories’ disastrous by-election defeats in two seats in the summer.
GRANT SHAPPS Business Secretary
Mr Shapps is another to have served across multiple government departments, most recently as Home Secretary less than a week ago following the departure of Suella Braverman. He was a prominent figure during the pandemic as Transport Secretary.
GILLIAN KEEGAN Education Secretary
Mrs Keegan is the fifth person this year to hold the position of Education Secretary. She spent a year as health minister before moving to the Foreign Office as part of Liz Truss’s doomed premiership.
She was forced to apologise earlier this year for an ‘error of judgment’ after continuing a meeting with grieving fathers despite testing positive for Covid partway through.
PENNY MORDAUNT Commons Leader
In a major humiliation, there was no big promotion for Miss Mordaunt, the former magician’s assistant who holds on to her position as Leader of the House of Commons. She stood against Mr Sunak for the leadership this weekend, but pulled out at the last moment when it became clear she did not have the backing of enough MPs. She appears to have paid the price for her failure to strike a deal with her rival.
MEL STRIDE Work and Pensions Secretary
Mr Stride is well known to Rishi Sunak, having managed his campaign to replace Boris Johnson as Prime Minister. He publicly criticised Liz Truss’s ill-fated mini-Budget, saying it had put the Conservative Party’s reputation for managing the economy in jeopardy. The chairman of the Treasury Select Committee is a former president of the Oxford Union.
THERESE COFFEY Environment Secretary
A big demotion on the face of it for ex-health secretary Miss Coffey, though the fact she remains in Government despite her support of Liz Truss suggests the PM was keen to appease his predecessor’s followers. The self- confessed karaoke fan admitted she was ‘not the role model’ when it came to her own health after being questioned about her lifestyle. She left Downing Street yesterday by announcing she was ‘going home to Defra’ – a department which she served in for three years from 2016.
SIMON HART Chief Whip
The former Welsh Secretary is not exactly a household name. But he takes on one of the most significant roles in Government, responsible for ensuring discipline within the Conservative Parliamentary Party.
SIR GAVIN WILLIAMSON Minister Without Portfolio
The former education secretary and master of the Parliamentary arts and will attend Cabinet, a clear reward for his staunch backing of Mr Sunak’s campaign.
Other appointments yesterday: Michelle Donelan, Culture Secretary, Kemi Badenoch, International Trade Secretary, Mark Harper, Transport Secretary, Chris HeatonHarris, Northern Ireland Secretary, Alister Jack, Secretary of State for Scotland, David TC Davies, Secretary of State for Wales, Lord True, Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords, Victoria Prentis, Attorney General, Jeremy Quin, Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office, John Glen, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Johnny Mercer, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Tom Tugendhat, Security Minister, Robert Jenrick, Immigration Minister, Andrew Mitchell, Minister for Development