Cabinet reshuffle: Pickles stays on as Shapps departs
Author: Dominic Browne, The MJ |
Communities secretary Eric Pickles is one the few senior Cabinet members to remain in post following a controversial mid-term reshuffle by prime minister David Cameron.
But the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has seen major ministerial changes today – including the departure of former housing minister, Grant Shapps, who has been appointed as Conservative Party chairman. Mr Shapps will attend Cabinet as a minister without portfolio.
Former Conservative Party chair, Baroness Warsi, has been handed a unique dual role as both communities and faith minister at the DCLG and as a senior minister at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
In what is possibly the most surprising of Mr Cameron’s decisions, Jeremy Hunt, the controversial culture secretary, has become the new health secretary. Mr Hunt endured a torrid time earlier this year, coming under pressure following his oversight of the BSkyB takeover bid.
He replaces Andrew Lansley, architect of the controversial reforms to the NHS in England under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, which will see major health powers devolved to councils in April 2013. Mr Lansley has been moved and becomes the leader of the House of Commons. He remains a member of the Cabinet.
In another controversial move, former transport secretary, Justine Greening, is the new secretary of state for international development.
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson immediately responded to the announcement via Twitter, saying: ‘There can be only one reason to move her [Greening] and that is to expand Heathrow’.
Ms Greening had been a vocal opponent of proposals to build a third runway at the airport, a policy also opposed by all three major parties in their election manifestos and in the Coalition Agreement.
Former employment minister, Chris Grayling, has replaced seasoned Conservative, Ken Clarke, as justice secretary. Mr Clarke stays in the Cabinet as a minister without portfolio ? and has been invited to advise on economic issues.
Cheryl Gillan has been replaced as Welsh secretary by David Jones, while the former Northern Ireland secretary, Owen Paterson, has replaced Caroline Spelman as environment secretary. Ms Spelman has been demoted from the Cabinet.
Former transport minister, Theresa Villiers, has taken over as secretary of state for Northern Ireland.
No changes were made to posts held by senior Liberal Democrat’s in the Cabinet, although David Laws has been brought back in as an education minister, and will attend cabinet meetings in some capacity.
As The MJ went to press with this bulletin, it was unclear who would retain or fill junior ministerial posts at the DCLG. Planning minister, Greg Clark, a close ally of Mr Cameron, had been tipped for promotion but for the time being has been denied a seat at the Cabinet table.