PM to reshuffle more ministerial roles following cabinet changes
The prime minister is expected to continue his reshuffle on Thursday, concentrating on the lower ministerial ranks, with vaccines minister and schools minister among the roles yet to be filled.
Boris Johnson overhauled some of the cabinet’s top positions on Wednesday, sacking education secretary Gavin Williamson and replacing him with vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi.
He also demoted foreign secretary Dominic Raab, replacing him with international trade secretary Liz Truss.
Robert Buckland and Robert Jenrick departed their roles as justice secretary and housing, communities and local government secretary, respectively.
Schools minister Nick Gibb was also shown the door.
Priti Patel kept her role as home secretary, despite speculation that she would be sacked, while Rishi Sunak will continue as chancellor.
In a tweet following the reshuffle, the prime minister said: “The cabinet I have appointed today will work tirelessly to unite and level up the whole country.”
Mr Raab paid the price for the criticism he received after remaining on holiday in Crete while Afghanistan’s capital Kabul fell to the Taliban. He will, however, now be deputy prime minister.
Mr Williamson was targeted after his mis-handling of schools during the coronavirus pandemic, including closures and a fiasco over the awarding of A-level and GCSE grades.
Last week, he was widely mocked after admitting to confusing England footballer Marcus Rashford with rugby star Maro Itoje.
Mr Zahawi, on the other hand, was rewarded for his efforts in the successful COVID-19 vaccine rollout – almost 90% of those over 16 have had a first dose of the vaccine, while just over 81% are fully vaccinated.
Following his appointment as education secretary, Mr Zahawi 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.
Nadhim Zahawi appeared to be happy with his promotion
“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.”
Oliver Dowden was made co-chairman of the Conservative Party, replacing Amanda Milling.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan, who was international development secretary before her department was merged with the Foreign Office last year, returned to the fold as trade secretary.
Nadine Dorries took Mr Dowden’s culture secretary job.
Steve Barclay succeeded Michael Gove as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, while Mr Gove replaced Mr Jenrick at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, also taking on cross-government responsibility for Mr Johnson’s “levelling up” agenda.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid, Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey, Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg, and Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis all kept their jobs.
Politics
MP Zarah Sultana who was ousted from Labour announces she is starting new political party with Jeremy Corbyn
An MP who was ousted from the Labour Party has announced she is setting up a new political party with Jeremy Corbyn.
Independent MP Zarah Sultana said she and the former Labour leader will co-lead the new party, which she did not provide a name for.
She said other independent MPs, campaigners and activists from across the country will join them, but did not name anyone.
Politics latest: Zarah Sultana’s stinging resignation letter
Ms Sultana also said she was “resigning” from the Labour Party after 14 years.
She was suspended as a Labour MP shortly after they came to power last summer for voting against the government maintaining the two-child benefit cap.
Several others from the left of the party, including Mr Corbyn, were also suspended for voting against the government, and also remained as independent MPs.
However, Ms Sultana was still a member of the Labour Party – until now.
Mr Corbyn has previously said the independent MPs who were suspended from Labour would “come together” to provide an “alternative.
The other four are: Iqbal Mohamed, Shockat Adam, Ayoub Khan and Adnan Hussain.
Mr Corbyn and the other four independents have not said if they are part of the new party Ms Sultana announced.
In her announcement, Ms Sultana said she would vote to abolish the two-child benefit cap again and also voted against scrapping the winter fuel payment for most pensioners.
Ms Sultana also voted against the government’s welfare bill this week, which was heavily watered down as Sir Keir Starmer tried to prevent a major rebellion from his own MPs.
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Protesters block Israeli arms manufacturer in Bristol
On Wednesday, Ms Sultana spoke passionately against Palestine Action being proscribed as a terror organisation – but MPs eventually voted for it to be.
She said to proscribe it is “a deliberate distortion of the law to chill dissent, criminalise solidarity and suppress the truth”.
Ms Sultana said they were founding the new party because “Westminster is broken but the real crisis is deeper – just 50 families now own more wealth than half the UK population”.
She called Reform leader Nigel Farage “a billionaire-backed grifter” leading the polls “because Labour has completely failed to improve people’s lives.
Ms Sultana called Nigel Farage a ‘billionaire-backed grifter’. Pic: PA
The MP, who has spoken passionately about Gaza, added: “Across the political establishment, from Farage to Starmer, they smear people of conscience trying to stop a genocide in Gaza as terrorists.
“But the truth is clear: this government is an active participant in genocide. And the British people oppose it.
“We are not going to take this anymore.”
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “In just 12 months, this Labour government has boosted wages, delivered an extra four million NHS appointments, opened 750 free breakfast clubs, secured three trade deals and four interest rate cuts lowering mortgage payments for millions.
“Only Labour can deliver the change needed to renew Britain.”
Roman Storm is scheduled to appear in a New York courtroom for his criminal trial on July 14, facing money laundering and conspiracy charges.
The Wyoming Senator seeks to end double taxation and add clarity to the tax treatment of crypto staking, mining, and lending transactions.
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