Dominic Raab has been appointed deputy prime minister after being removed from his role as foreign secretary. Mr Raab has also become the justice secretary and Lord Chancellor in the first appointment of the prime minister’s cabinet shuffle.
Earlier this afternoon, Gavin Williamson was removed as education secretary and Robert Jenrick was ousted as housing secretary.
Downing street has confirmed that the government hopes to complete cabinet-level appointments today, with more junior posts to be announced in the coming days.
A Downing Street source said: “The prime minister will today conduct a reshuffle to put in place a strong and united team to build back better from the pandemic.”
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson has refused to explain how universal credit claimants would be able to recoup their looming £20-a-week cut in payments.
The prime minister was challenged to set out how many hours of extra work will be needed – after a Cabinet minister wrongly claimed it is just two.
But Mr Johnson declined to say whether the true figure is higher or lower.
Gove and Dowden enter Downing Street
Cabinet office minister Michael Gove and culture secretary Oliver Dowden have both entered No 10 Downing Street.
Amanda Milling, Tory party co-chairman sacked
Amanda Milling, the co-chairman of the Conservative Party, announced her removal from her post on Twitter.
“It’s been a privilege and an honour to be the Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party,” she said before thanking the voluntary party, the team at CCHQ and the prime minister.
“I will continue working to deliver on our plans to level up the UK.”
Rishi Sunak will retain his post as Chancellor
Rishi Sunak will retain his post as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Downing Street confirmed on Twitter.
Dominic Raab removed as foreign secretary, confirmed as deputy prime minister
Dominic Raab has been removed from his post as foreign secretary, but confirmed as the new justice secretary, Lord Chancellor and deputy prime minister, in the first appointment of Boris Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle.
Shadow education secretary reacts to Gavin Williamson’s removal
The shadow education secretary said that outgoing education secretary Gavin Williamson left behind a legacy of exams chaos and demoralised staff.
“Gavin Williamson has failed children and young people, their parents and our hardworking education staff throughout one of the most testing periods in our history,” Kate Green said.
“Two years of exams chaos and staff abandoned, unsupported and demoralised. That is Gavin Williamson’s legacy.
“The prime minister has allowed this to happen, keeping a failing education secretary in post for months and refusing to fight for children’s futures.”
Robert Jenrick: ‘I’m deeply proud of all we achieved’
The outgoing housing secretary tweeted his thanks to everyone in his department, and committed to continue supporting the prime minister and government.
He said: “It’s been a huge privilege to serve as Secretary of State @mhclg. Thank you to everyone at the department for their hard work, dedication and friendship. I’m deeply proud of all we achieved.
“I will continue to support the Prime Minister and the Government in every way I can.”
Robert Jenrick has been removed as housing secretary
Housing secretary Robert Jenrick has left the government as the latest casualty of Boris Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle.
Political editor Andrew Woodcock reports.
Why is Boris Johnson wearing a wheat sheaf on his lapel?
Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer were among the MPs seen wearing wheat sheafs on their lapels as they faced off in the Commons during PMQs earlier today.
The decorations demonstrate support for Back British Farming Day, which falls on 15 September this year. The event, organised by the National Farmers’ Union for England and Wales, is aimed at celebrating the British farming sector and to encourage politicians to ensure that the sector is prioritised in future trade deals.
My colleagues Andy Gregory and Zoe Tidman report.
Robert Buckland removed as justice secretary in cabinet reshuffle
The second major move in the prime minister’s cabinet reshuffle is the removal of Robert Buckland as justice secretary.
Mr Buckland said on Twitter: “It has been an honour to serve in the Government for the last 7 years, and as the Lord Chancellor for the last 2.
“I am deeply proud of everything I have achieved. On to the next adventure.”
Cut to universal credit could be avoided using ‘fiscal headroom the Chancellor already has’, says Labour
In the Commons debate, Labour’s shadow work and pensions secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, said that a universal credit cut could be avoided by using “fiscal headroom the Chancellor already has”.
Mr Reynolds said: “This government is already a high-tax government. And due to that, and the decision to freezer personal allowances and hike council tax combined with the much lower Government borrowing costs than expected, the projections are already coming in for the October spending review suggesting there is far more room for manoeuvre than anyone previously thought.”
He added that borrowing is likely to come in several tens of billions of pounds lower than expected, “having already borrowed £26bn less than previously forecast for the first four months of 2021”.
“More importantly, if the Office for Budget Responsibility moves its forecast for the long-term scarring effect of the pandemic on the British economy, that’s currently 3 per cent of GDP, into line with the more optimistic consensus, the Bank of England now saying just 1 per cent, he will have a windfall that lasts possibly to the tune of £25 billion a year.”
He added: “The point remains, the decision to keep the level of universal credit and Working Tax credit at the level it is could be made within the fiscal headroom the chancellor already has when the spending review takes place.”
