Boris Johnson wields axe in cabinet reshuffle

The British Prime Minister sacked four ministers and moved a third of his cabinet in a bid to refocus beyond the pandemic.

Newly appointed foreign secretary Liz Truss leaves 10 Downing Street on Wednesday. Picture: AFP

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has carried out an extensive reshuffle of his cabinet as he sacked four ministers and demoted foreign secretary Dominic Raab in an effort to refocus his premiership beyond the pandemic.

Mr Johnson late on Wednesday moved a third of his cabinet and replaced Mr Raab with Liz Truss, who was international trade secretary, making her the first female Tory foreign secretary.

Mr Raab initially rejected the attempt to demote him during a tense 40-minute meeting with Mr Johnson. He eventually accepted the role of justice secretary after being given the additional title of deputy prime minister.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson, justice secretary Robert Buckland and community secretary Robert Jenrick were all sacked and returned to the back benches. Amanda Milling, co-chairwoman of the Conservative Party, left the cabinet and was made a Foreign Office minister.

One of the most significant promotions was awarded to Michael Gove, who replaced Mr Jenrick as housing secretary and was given responsibility for delivering the levelling-up agenda.

It means that the man who once sabotaged Mr Johnson’s tilt at the leadership will play a central role in his attempts to secure a second term as prime minister at the next general election.

Among other changes Nadhim Zahawi was rewarded for his role in overseeing the vaccination program by being appointed education secretary while Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the former international development secretary, returns to the cabinet as international trade secretary. Another minister entering the cabinet for the first time is Nadine Dorries, who replaces Oliver Dowden as culture secretary.

Ms Dorries, who still writes bestselling books alongside her ministerial responsibilities, has been a strident critic of the BBC and once said that the licence fee model was “more in keeping in a Soviet-style country”. Mr Dowden has replaced Ms Milling as co-chairman of the party, a move that represents a demotion.

A newly demoted Dominic Raab leaves 10 Downing Street. Picture: Getty Images

Mr Johnson framed the reshuffle as part of a return to his domestic agenda. “The cabinet I have appointed today will work tirelessly to unite and level up the whole country,” he said. “We will build back better from the pandemic and deliver on your priorities. Now let’s get on with the job.”

Critical to this will be Mr Gove, who will combine his new role as housing secretary with driving the levelling-up of economic opportunity agenda across Whitehall.

He will retain responsibility for liaising with the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and elections. Unlike most ministers in the reshuffle Mr Gove was sounded out first by Mr Johnson about his new role. Chief Secretary to the Treasury Stephen Barclay replaces Mr Gove at the Cabinet Office. Mr Barclay had been leading the spending review and will now be replaced by Simon Clarke, who joins the cabinet from the communities department.

The changes mean that two of the four great offices of state are now held by women.

Overall the gender balance of the cabinet is little changed with about a quarter being women.

With the appointment of Mr Zahawi, Mr Johnson has bolstered his credentials in leading the most ethnically diverse cabinet, which now has seven non-white members.

The prime minister’s official spokesman formally denied that Mr Johnson had consulted his wife, Carrie, about the reshuffle. Dominic Cummings, his former adviser, had described it as the “Carrie reshuffle”.

Despite rumours about their future many of the central figures in Mr Johnson’s cabinet survived. Home Secretary Priti Patel, who had been the subject of speculation amid concern over the failure to stem migrant crossings in the Channel, remains in post. Rishi Sunak, who the prime minister suggested could be demoted, is still Chancellor and Ben Wallace is still Defence Secretary after being praised for his role in the evacuation of British and Afghan citizens from Afghanistan.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng keeps his job as do Health Secretary Sajid Javid, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, and Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey.

Mr Johnson will announce a reshuffle of ministers below cabinet level on Thursday night, which is expected to result in the promotion of a host of Tory MPs who won their seats in the landslide 2019 election. There have been suggestions that there will be a clear out of “pale, male” ministers.

The changes come before a critical three-year government spending review next month, in which new ministers will want to win additional resources for their departments.

The Times