LIZ TRUSS HAS been appointed UK Foreign Secretary as Boris Johnson dramatically reshaped his top team to hand Michael Gove key roles while Dominic Raab was demoted and Gavin Williamson sacked.
Following widespread criticism of his handling of the Afghanistan crisis, Raab was moved from the Foreign Office to become Justice Secretary but, while he was also handed the title of Deputy Prime Minister, he was clearly moved down the hierarchy.
Two of the great offices of state are now held by women after Truss was promoted during today’s reshuffle and Priti Patel kept her role of Home Secretary despite speculation she would be sacked.
While Raab retains his seat at the Cabinet table, Boris Johnson sacked Williamson, Robert Jenrick and Robert Buckland.
Williamson’s ousting after extensive criticism over his handling of the coronavirus crisis in schools paved the way for Nadhim Zahawi to be promoted to Education Secretary from his role as vaccines minister.
Not only did Gove succeed Jenrick as Housing Secretary but the Prime Minister entrusted him with a further key position in the post-coronavirus agenda by handing him responsibility for “levelling up” while maintaining his role trying to ward off Scottish independence.
The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP @trussliz has been appointed Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs @FCDOGovUK
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) September 15, 2021
She remains as Minister for Women and Equalities @GEOgovuk #Reshuffle pic.twitter.com/hGKPeI3Gny
Meanwhile, Amanda Milling was ousted as Tory party co-chairwoman just weeks before the Conservative conference.
Oliver Dowden moves from culture secretary to replace Milling as co-chairman of the Tory Party, as well as holding the title Minister without Portfolio.
Nadine Dorries, a best-selling author and former star of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, becomes Culture Secretary in what critics perceived as a move by Johnson to ramp up the so-called “culture war”.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan was promoted to replace Truss as International Trade Secretary and Steve Barclay succeeded Gove as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and minister for the Cabinet Office.
Raab’s demotion comes after he was heavily criticised for being on holiday as the Taliban swept across Afghanistan.
The title Deputy Prime Minister formalises a role he performed as first secretary of state when he stood in for Johnson while the Prime Minister was in hospital with coronavirus.
Raab said he was “delighted” with his new roles following lengthy talks with Johnson in the Prime Minister’s Commons office.
Downing Street confirmed Williamson had been sacked by the Prime Minister on Wednesday afternoon, with the same fate greeting Buckland as justice secretary and Jenrick from housing.
It has been a privilege to serve as Education Secretary since 2019. Despite the challenges of the global pandemic, I’m particularly proud of the transformational reforms I’ve led in Post 16 education: in further education colleges, our Skills agenda, apprenticeships and more.
— Gavin Williamson (@GavinWilliamson) September 15, 2021
The Prime Minister was carrying out a long-awaited shake-up of his top team with plans to put in place a “strong and united” Cabinet following the turbulence of the pandemic.
Williamson was one of the ministers deemed most at risk of being told to return to the backbenches, particularly due to his handling of the exams fiasco during the Covid-19 crisis.
He announced his exit by saying “it has been a privilege to serve as education secretary since 2019”, adding that he will continue to support the Prime Minister and the Government.
After receiving the axe, Jenrick pledged to continue supporting the Prime Minister “in every way I can”.
“I’m deeply proud of all we achieved,” he said, thanking his colleagues at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
His sacking from Johnson’s top team followed controversies including the unlawful approval of a Tory donor’s housing development and his eyebrow-raising journeys during lockdown.
Also to go was Buckland, who noted “years of underfunding” had not helped the legal system recover from backlog created by the pandemic in his departure letter to Johnson.
The courts system has been under huge strain during the pandemic but a specific reason for his departure was unclear.
Bob Neill, the Conservative MP who chairs the Commons Justice Committee, criticised Buckland’s exit, saying: “You deserved better.”
“You did a first-rate job and, importantly, always stood up for the rule of law and the integrity of the justice system,” he added.
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