Raab fills ‘important’ role as PM’s reshuffle continues
FORMER foreign secretary Dominic Raab will continue to play an ‘important senior role’ in government, Downing Street insisted, as Boris Johnson continued his reshuffle. Mr Raab, now justice secretary, was seen as one of the biggest losers in the wide-ranging changes. The announcement that he was to become deputy prime minister was seen as little more than a consolation after losing the role of one of the ‘great offices of state’. Downing Street refused to be drawn on reports that Mr Raab had ‘thrown his toys out of the pram’ during a talk with the prime minister on Wednesday.
However, Mr Johnson’s official spokesman insisted it had been a ‘planned move’ and that the Esher and Walton MP’s new title reflected the prime minister’s continuing trust in him. ‘This formalises
Dominic Raab’s position as the prime minister’s deputy. He will stand in for him at PMQs; it demonstrates his seniority within government and the trust the prime minister places with him,’ they said. ‘You can expect him to be involved in cross-governmental work when that is necessitated. It is clear he will play an important senior role.’
In further ministerial moves yesterday, Penny Mordaunt was replaced as paymaster general in the Cabinet Office by former solicitor general Michael Ellis.
Ms Mordaunt, who is moving to the Department for International Trade, tweeted: ‘ Good luck to my successor and... look after the cats!’
The media minister, John Whittingdale, was also removed and Nick Gibb is leaving the Department for Education, where he has been since 2014.
Mr Raab’s replacement by Liz Truss followed criticism of his handling of the Afghanistan crisis and his delay in returning from holiday as Kabul fell.
Yesterday, Downing Street announced Robin Walker as new minister of state at
the Department for Education. Lucy Frazer QC becomes financial secretary to the treasury, while Victoria Atkins was named as a new justice minister but will remain responsible for the Afghan resettlement scheme.