Reshuffle as it happened: Braverman sacked and Cameron made foreign secretary
Reshuffle: Key points
- Suella Braverman sacked as home secretary and replaced by James Cleverly.
- Former prime minister David Cameron made foreign secretary and says Sunak is “strong and capable” prime minister.
- Therese Coffey has resigned from Defra and been replaced by Steve Barclay, former health secretary.
- Who else has gone? Health ministers Will Quince and Neil O’Brien, schools minister Nick Gibb, transport minister Jesse Norman, and paymaster general Jeremy Quin have quit.
- New gigs: Pensions minister Laura Trott has been promoted to chief secretary to the Treasury, with John Glen made paymaster general – while Treasury minister Victoria Atkins has been made health secretary.
- Cabinet row? Kemi Badenoch tweets she is “very sorry” to see housing minister Rachel Maclean sacked.
- Hands out? Transport minister Richard Holden has been made Conservative Party chairman – and predecessor Greg Hands has been demoted to a ministerial role in the Department for Business.
- Tech minister Paul Scully, who also served as Minister for London, has been sacked, he told Morning Wire
- City minister Andrew Griffith is confirmed to be leaving the Treasury to become a science minister.
Former prime minister David Cameron has re-entered government as foreign secretary, after Suella Braverman was sensationally sacked as home secretary this morning.
It came amid a series of cabinet changes which included James Cleverly replacing Braverman, Victoria Atkins being promoted to health secretary, and Therese Coffey resigning as environment secretary.
Cameron, who called the Brexit referendum in 2016 and resigned shortly after the 52:48 result, has also been made a life peer, which will enable him to sit in cabinet as a member of the House of Lords.
He was forced to deny speculation in 2018 that he was eager to return to cabinet – particularly in the Foreign Office job.
In an eyebrow-raising move, he was seen stepping out of a car in Downing Street this morning, prompting speculation he could be in line for a dramatic return to government.
- Analysis: Braverman is gone and Cameron is back as the moderates take back control
Posting on X, Cameron said: “Though I may have disagreed with some individual decisions, it is clear to me that Rishi Sunak is a strong and capable Prime Minister, who is showing exemplary leadership at a difficult time.”
This comes after Cameron criticised Sunak’s scrapping of HS2 at the Tory party conference, calling the move “the wrong one.”
Sunak’s began his reshuffle by sacking Braverman as home secretary before replacing her with Cleverly.
Jeremy Hunt remained in post as Chancellor, ahead of next week’s Autumn Statement, and pensions minister Laura Trott was appointed as chief secretary to the Treasury.
Trott’s predecessor John Glen was moved to the role of cabinet office minister and paymaster general in an apparent demotion.
City minister Andrew Griffith is also confirmed to be leaving the Treasury to become a science minister – leaving the Square Mile on tenterhooks as to his replacement.
Esther McVey was appointed minister without portfololio in the cabinet office but is reportedly expected to focus on common sense and tackling ‘woke’ issues such as gender and Britain’s colonial past.
Coffey resigned as environment secretary three hours after she was pictured entering No10.
Former health secretary Steve Barclay has now been moved to Defra, No10 confirmed, to take on the vacant environment brief.
While Atkins, formerly chief financial secretary to the Treasury, received a promotion to health secretary.
The Lincolnshire MP has long been tipped for a cabinet post. A CCHQ graphic announcing her appointment said: “Vicky Atkins – Health Sec – Will Cut Waiting Lists”.
While former CCHQ staffer Richard Holden has been promoted from transport minister to Tory Party chairman, in a move which saw previous post-holder Greg Hands shifted to a ministerial role in the business department.
Braverman was asked to leave the government by the Prime Minister and accepted, No10 sources told the Press Association.
- David Cameron: How will Sunak’s ‘salesman-in-chief’ approach China?
She said: “It has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve as Home Secretary. I will have more to say in due course.”
Cleverly was seen entering No10 following news of Braverman’s exit this morning.
First elected in 2015, he was moved from the Foreign Office, where he had held a number of junior minister roles, as well a brief spell as education secretary in the final months of Boris Johnson’s premiership.
A graphic shared by the Conservative Party’s X – formerly Twitter – account said: “Huge news… James Cleverly – Home Sec – Will Stop The Boats.”
The Conservative MP for Braintree commented: “It is an honour to be appointed as Home Secretary. The goal is clear. My job is to keep people in this country safe.”
It came after Braverman penned a Times article last week which criticised the Metropolitan Police’s handling of a controversial pro-Palestinian protest ahead of Armistice Day.
Sunak was under pressure to take action after she was accused of undermining the police’s operational independence – and it later emerged that No10 had not signed off on the article.
Counter-protests on Saturday, November 11, saw far-right groups clash with police – with 15 officers injured – near the Cenotaph. Seven people have since been charged with offences.
The Conservative Party wrote in a tweet on X: “Here we go. Today Rishi Sunak strengthens his team in government to deliver long-term decisions for a brighter future.”
Amid the headline appointments, health ministers Will Quince and Neil O’Brien, have also quit the government. Veteran schools minister Nick Gibb has stood down and will quit as an MP. Science minister George Freeman has also resigned.
While transport minister Jesse Norman has also departed the government, and cabinet office minister and paymaster general Jeremy Quin has resigned, despite being asked to “continue to serve”.
Housing minister Rachel Maclean has also been “asked to step down” from her role, she confirmed on X (Twitter), saying she was “disappointed” but wished “my successsor well”. Lee Rowley has been appointed in her stead.
Business secretary Kemi Badenoch appeared to confirm reports of a cabinet row over her dismissal, saying she was “very sorry” to see Maclean leave government.
Paul Scully, tech minister and Minister for London, was also sacked, he confirmed to Morning Wire