Politics

Cabinet reshuffle UK 2021: Boris Johnson chairs first meeting of top team in Downing Street since wielding axe


BORIS Johnson’s new Cabinet met in Downing Street today for the first time since the brutal reshuffle saw four of them axed.

The PM’s 30-strong top team filed into the famous room in No10 at 9am for a special Friday morning get together.

He gave his senior ministers a “half-time pep talk” urging them to work together to deliver on his flagship levelling-up agenda.

He said: “This is the moment when we spit out the orange peel, we adjust our gum shields and our scrum caps.

“And we get out on to the pitch in the knowledge that we’re going to have to do it together and we’re going to have to do it as a team.”

Most were Cabinet survivors of Mr Johnson’s shake-up, but for four newly promoted ministers it was their first time sat around the oval table.

Notable absences included axed Gavin Williamson, Robert Jenrick, Robert Buckland and Amanda Milling who fell foul of the PM’s clear-out.

The PM told the room they were all there on “merit” but that it is time to redouble their efforts to deliver for the public.

Read our Boris Johnson live blog below for the latest updates…

  • WHAT ABOUT THE RED WALLERS?

    So far not a single MP elected in 2019 has been appointed to a ministerial position.

    While they still have less than two years experience in the Commons, it’s not unusual for some high-flying junior MPs to get an early shot at Government.

    But so far none of the 2019 intake that swept to power as the Red Wall crumbled have been given the nod… there’s always PPS jobs going.

  • SOME JUNIOR POSITIONS COMING IN

    • James Cartlidge MP as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice and as an Assistant Government Whip.
    • Tom Pursglove MP as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State jointly at the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice;
    • Maria Caulfield MP as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care
    • David Rutley MP as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions
  • RESHUFFLE CONTINUES

    Boris Johnson is dishing out the last of the ministerial jobs this afternoon, Downing St has said.

    While most of the posts have now been filled, there are still some junior appointments going.

    Ambitious MPs won’t be switching their phones to silent just yet…

  • CABINET REMINDED OF PRIORITIES

    Boris Johnson reminded his new Cabinet of the Government’s priorities as laid out at the 2019 election.

    They include recruiting 20,000 more police officers, cutting crime, building 48 new hospitals, rolling out gigabit broadband, improving skills, getting to net zero and levelling up opportunities for everyone across the UK.

    The PM also said the Government is prepared to take difficult decisions – including the recent controversy over the tax-hiking social care plan.

  • DATA DRIVE

    Cabinet Ministers were told by the head of the No10 delivery unit Emily Lawson to get better at cross-Whitehall data sharing.

    Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson said: “The ambition is to improve data across all departments, some of which is already quite evolved, some of which needs more work.”

  • PM’S REES-MOGG JOKE

    Boris Johnson lightened the mood at Cabinet with a quip aimed at father-of six Jacob Rees-Mogg.

    The PM said: “I’m just thinking about delivery… I’ve seen a few delivery rooms, probably seen as many delivery rooms as anybody in this… apart from the exception of Jacob.

    “I know that delivery normally involves a superhuman effort by at least one person in the room.

    “But there are plenty of other people in that room who are absolutely indispensable to that successful outcome.”

  • LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION

    “Power is a lot like real estate. It’s all about location, location, location. The closer you are to the source, the higher your property value.”

    So went a famous quote from the scheming Frank Underwood in political drama House of Cardsand so it also goes in the Cabinet.

    Boris Johnson is flanked by his powerful Chancellor Rishi Sunak and civil service boss Simon Case, who always sits beside the PM.

    Interestingly, demoted Justice Secretary Dominic Raab bags the plum spot directly opposite the PM.

    Downing St clearly wants to prove that his new title of Deputy PM is more than just a symbolic sweetener.

    New Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace are also in the mix.

    Credit: AFP

     

  • MEET THE CABINET

    Here they are! Boris Johnson sits in the middle of the famous Cabinet table surrounded by his fresh top team.

    The PM is set to impress the need to deliver on the Government’s flagship levelling up pledge.

    For four ministers it is their first time around the Cabinet table after being promoted in this week’s reshuffle.

    Credit: AFP

     

  • BIG DAY FOR SHAPPS

    Transport Secretary Grant Shapps arrives for Cabinet as he prepares a massive overhaul of international travel.

    Mr Shapps will later sign off on plans to ditch expensive PCR tests for UK arrivals, scrap the amber list and dramatically shrink the red list.

    An announcement is expected this afternoon after the meeting wraps up.

    Credit: AFP

     

  • CABINET ARRIVE AT NO10

    Cabinet Ministers have been arriving at Downing Street for the first meeting.

    Demoted Dominic Raab gave a thumbs up as he walked into No10 this morning.

    Others included newly promoted Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.

    Credit: Reuters
  • TREVOR KAVANAGH: BRUTAL RESHUFFLE SHOWS BORIS JOHNSON IS AT THE HEIGHT OF HIS POWERS

    GONE at last! Thank God, bungling Education “supremo” Gavin Williamson is gone at last.

    For millions of mums and dads whose children’s schooling has been blighted by his cackhanded mismanagement, Williamson’s sacking was the highlight of BoJo’s reshuffle.

    It eclipses even the titanic struggle between the PM and doomed Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.

    Karate black belt Raab went in kung fu fighting to save his job but emerged bruised and demoted to Justice Secretary. It is a role that might actually suit his rather plodding skill set.

    Raab reportedly threw a “hissy fit” as he argued with the PM in his Commons suite for more than an hour. It was grossly unfair to ditch him after all he had done for Boris, he insisted.

  • NEW CABINET MEETING TODAY

    Boris Johnson will chair his first meeting of the new Cabinet at 9am today.

    While many familiar faces will file into the Cabinet Room in 10 Downing Street, some like Nadhim Zahawi and Nadine Dorries will be there for the first time.

    Cabinet meetings are typically on Tuesday mornings but the PM is keen to gather his top team following yesterday’s reshuffle.

  • WHY WAS DOMINIC RAAB DEMOTED?

    Embattled Dominic Raab accepted a humiliating shunting from Foreign to Justice Secretary following a terse meeting with the PM.

    However, he said he was “delighted” to have been appointed Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister and will turn his attention to cutting crime.

    His handling of the crisis in Afghanistan put him under severe pressure – with other cabinet figures briefing heavily against him, and opposition parties demanding he resign or be sacked.

    To soften the blow of his demotion, Boris Johnson gave Raab the job title of Deputy Prime Minister – a symbolic promotion from his role as First Secretary of State.

    He is said to have fought hard for his new title in desperate negotiations with the PM.

    Prime Ministers are not obliged to choose a deputy and the role has no more formal power than First Secretary of State – it just sounds better.

  • EXPLAINED: JUST HOW DIVERSE IS THE NEW CABINET?

    In an analysis, The Sutton Trust charity has found that 60% of Boris Johnson’s new cabinet were privately educated.

    This is slightly down from Mr Johnson’s previous cabinet (65%). And it compares to 29% of all MPs in the House of Commons who were privately educated, and roughly 7% of the entire population.

    The Sutton Trust also found that 47% of the new cabinet attended either Oxford or Cambridge universities, which compares with 27% of all Conservative MPs, 18% of Labour MPs and 24% of all MPs.

    And more than a quarter (27%) of the new cabinet were educated at both an independent school and Oxbridge.

  • WHO IS DOMINIC RAAB?

    Raab is the son of a Czech-born Jewish father who came to Britain in 1938 to escape Nazi Germany.

    Due to his mother’s background, he was raised in the Church of England.

    The 47-year-old studied law at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, and won the Clive Parry Prize for international law.

    He then did a master’s degree at Jesus College, Cambridge.

    Raab started his working life at Linklaters in London and qualified as a solicitor in 2000.

    He then joined the Foreign Office where he advised on a number of areas including the Arab-Israeli conflict, the EU and Gibraltar.

    Between 2006 and 2010 he worked in Parliament as Chief of Staff to David Davis and Dominic Grieve.

    He was elected to Parliament in the 2010 election where he represented Esher and Walton, a safe Conservative seat in Surrey.

  • NEW MINISTER OF STATE ‘PLEASED TO RETURN’

    Conor Burns has returned to government as minister of state at the Northern Ireland Office. He sounds pleased to be taking up the role.

    He resigned from government in May 202 after an investigation found he had threatened a company chairman over a dispute with his father. 

    Mr Burns was suspended from parliament for seven days at the time.

  • GAVIN WILLIAMSON ‘LEAST POPULAR MEMBER OF THE CABINET’

    Boris Johnson sacked four members of the cabinet as part of his latest reshuffle.

    They were: Gavin Williamson, who was education secretary; Robert Jenrick, who was housing secretary; Robert Buckland, who was justice secretary; and Amanda Milling, who was Conservative Party co-chair.

    Dominic Raab, who had been the foreign secretary, was demoted to justice secretary.

    According to data from ConservativeHome, Mr Williamson was the least popular member of the cabinet with Conservative party members.

    While Liz Truss, who has been promoted to foreign secretary from international trade secretary, was the most popular.

  • PATEL: ‘THERE IS STILL SO MUCH MORE TO DO’

    Priti Patel has said it is “a huge privilege” to remain at the Home Office amid Boris Johnson’s Cabinet reshuffle.

    “A huge privilege to continue serving as Home Secretary under our Prime Minister Boris Johnson,” she tweeted.

    “There is still so much more to do to deliver for the British people. Tackling illegal migration, cutting crime and continuing to keep our great country safe.”

  • LIZ TRUSS MAKES FRIENDS ON HER FIRST DAY AT WORK

    Liz Truss got straight in there today, and has already made a very important friend at No.10.

    She was snapped wooing Larry the Cat with some head scratches during a trip to Downing Street.

  • NIGEL ADAMS HAS BEEN APPOINTED MINISTER OF STATE

    Nigel Adams has been appointed minister of state (minister without portfolio) in the Cabinet Office, No 10 says.

    He was previously a Foreign Office minister.

  • MORE JUNIOR MINISTER APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED

    • Lucy Frazer as financial secretary to the Treasury
    • Victoria Atkins as minister of state at the Ministry of Justice. She will remain as Minister for the Afghan resettlement scheme and Operation Warm Welcome
    • Gillian Keegan as minister of state at the Department of Health
    • Lee Rowley as a parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and as government whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury)
    • Neil O’Brien as a parliamentary under secretary of state at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
    • Maggie Throup as a parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department of Health
    • Helen Whately as exchequer secretary to the Treasury
    • Amanda Solloway as a government whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury)
  • NO DEEP FREEZE FOR FROSTY

    Lord Frost stays in his post as minister of state at the Cabinet office, overseeing Brexit related issues.

    Days earlier, he warned Brussels will be “making a significant mistake” if it underestimates No 10’s resolve to end the red tape chaos ravaging NI firms.

    In a punchy speech to peers he told eurocrats only a “real negotiation” on a long-term solution will avoid a major confrontation.

    But he insisted Boris Johnson will only pull the trigger if he’s left with no other “choice” and called for both sides to move towards each other.

  • PM AND CROWN PRINCE OF UAE DISCUSSED ‘IMPORTANCE OF EXPANDING TRADE IN FUTURE’

    Yesterday, Boris Johnson met with Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan. 

    Since their meeting, a Downing Street spokesperson has revealed the pair spoke about the “importance of expanding trade between the UK and UAE in future”. 

    Mr Johnson also “welcomed” the UAE’s efforts on climate change, ahead of the COP26 summit in November. 

    They discussed the situation in Afghanistan, agreeing on the need for international cooperation. 

  • THE NEW EDUCATION SECRETARY, NADHIM ZAHAWI ‘HONOURED’ TO BE WORKING AT THE DOE

    The new education secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, says he’s honoured to be working at the Department for Education in his new role:

    “Children and young people have had a tough time during this pandemic and I’ll be listening to them and their families as we accelerate our work to build back better and fairer.

    “From my own experience, I know what a beacon of opportunity this country can be and I want all children, young people and adults to have access to a brilliant education, the right qualifications and opportunities to secure good jobs. That’s both vital for them and also our economy and is more important now than ever before.

    “I can’t wait to get started, working with the amazing teachers and staff in our nurseries, schools, colleges and universities as well as employers and businesses.”

  • THE NEW EDUCATION SECRETARY, NADHIM ZAHAWI, ‘HONOURED’ TO BE WORKING AT THE DOE

    The new education secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, says he’s honoured to be working at the Department for Education in his new role:

    He said: “Children and young people have had a tough time during this pandemic and I’ll be listening to them and their families as we accelerate our work to build back better and fairer.

    “From my own experience, I know what a beacon of opportunity this country can be and I want all children, young people and adults to have access to a brilliant education, the right qualifications and opportunities to secure good jobs. That’s both vital for them and also our economy and is more important now than ever before.

    “I can’t wait to get started, working with the amazing teachers and staff in our nurseries, schools, colleges and universities as well as employers and businesses.”





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