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UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has reshuffled his Cabinet to replace sacked Tory chairman Nadhim Zahawi and carried out a sweeping overhaul of Whitehall departments.
Trade Minister Greg Hands has been named as the new Tory chairman after Mr. Zahawi was fired by the Prime Minister for breaching the ministerial code in a row over his tax affairs.
Mr. Sunak created four new Whitehall departments, including a Department for Energy Security, Net Zero and a Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
There will be a new combined Department for Business and Trade, while the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has lost its digital focus.
Business Secretary Grant Shapps becomes the new Energy Security Secretary, while Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan will be the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology.
International Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch becomes Secretary of State for Business and Trade. She keeps her role as Minister for Women and Equalities.
Lucy Frazer, a Housing Minister, has been handed a Cabinet post as the new Culture Secretary.
Her promotion means Mr. Sunak must appoint a new minister – the 15th person to hold that job since 2010 and the sixth in a year.
She becomes the eighth Culture Secretary in five years.
The Tory chairman post will be key in the run up to the local elections in May, which will provide Mr. Sunak with his first major electoral test since taking office.
Mr. Hands is a London MP who backed Remain in 2016, which may raise eyebrows among Red Wall MPs.
No10 did not deny reports that Mr Sunak had wanted Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove for the new Science Secretary job but he insisted he didn’t want to be moved.
The PM’s spokesman said it would not comment on “speculation” about the new roles.
Downing Street said the new departments would underscore Mr. Sunak’s pledges to halve inflation, grow the economy, reduce debt, cut waiting lists and stop the arrival of small boats.
Mr. Sunak tweeted: “The Government needs to reflect the priorities of the British people and be designed to deliver for them.
“These changes will focus teams on the issues that will build a better future for our children & grandchildren.”
But the Liberal Democrats accused him of frittering away taxpayers’ cash on “costly vanity projects”.
Pointing to Institute for Government (IfG) analysis that setting up a new department costs £15million, the party estimated the bill could top £60million.
Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokesperson Christine Jardine said that Rishi Sunak was “looking weaker by the day, and this rudderless reshuffle is the latest proof”.
“This reshuffle will cost the public millions while failing to change the trajectory of this Government in crisis.
“Rather than fritter away tens of millions of taxpayers’ cash on costly vanity projects, Sunak should spend the money where it’s most needed.
“This cash could fund 25 million free school meals.”
It comes after weeks of bad headlines for the Prime Minister over his scandal-hit ministers as he struggles to turn around his party’s dire poll ratings.
His pledge to govern with “integrity, professionalism and accountability” when he entered No10 more than 100 days ago was called into question by the row over Mr. Zahawi’s tax affairs and the bullying claims dogging Deputy PM Dominic Raab.
Under-fire Deputy PM Dominic Raab will stay in post while an independent probe into a string of bullying allegations against him is completed.
Downing Street has resisted calls to sack Mr. Raab and repeatedly said that top KC Adam Tolley must be allowed to complete his investigation.
Eight formal complaints – said to involve at least 24 officials – are being probed from Mr. Raab’s stints at the Ministry of Justice, the Foreign Office and the now defunct Brexit department.
Cabinet veteran Grant Shapps has been named as the new Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Rishi Sunak made him Business Secretary when he entered No10 in October – after a six-day stint as Home Secretary in the dying days of Liz Truss’s administration.
He was Transport Secretary during the pandemic, when he was forced to cut short his own Spanish holiday after being caught out by changes to quarantine rules.
The Welwyn Hatfield MP has plenty of business experience, having famously offered get-rich quick tips masquerading as a tycoon called Michael Green.
He recently hit the headlines after tweeting a picture where Boris Johnson had been photoshopped out of it – which was later deleted.
