PM to face Commons in wake of escalating Xmas party scandal

Johnson reshuffles the cabinet

Prime minister Boris Johnson has today undertaken a cabinet reshuffle.

So far as many as 12 cabinet ministers have changed roles.  The most significant change has occurred at the Foreign Office where Dominic Raab has been replaced as foreign secretary by Liz Truss.

Truss is  herself replaced at International Trade, by Ann Marie Trevelyan, who served in the cabinet as the last secretary of state for International Development prior to the department being abolished in 2020.

Raab who has taken over at the Justice Department, was reportedly extremely angry at his demotion, and after a prolonged meeting with Boris Johnson extracted the further title of Deputy Prime Minister for his troubles. Raab takes over from Robert Buckland, who has left the government after two years as justice secretary.

Elsewhere, education secretary Gavin Williamson was the first minister to go.  Having been fired by Boris Johnson, he has been replaced by vaccines Minister, Nadhim Zahawi, himself regarded as a safe pair of hands.   Upon the announcement, Labour MP Jess Phillips described Zahawi as at least “competent” and “easy to work with”.

Robert Jenrick, previously the youngest cabinet minister has been sacked as housing minister after just two years in the job.  He has been replaced by Michael Gove who remains in the cabinet after eleven years.  Gove is replaced as chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster by Steve Barclay, the former chief secretary to the treasury.

Conservative party chair Amanda Milling MP is another who has been removed by Johnson in today’s reshuffle.  She is replaced by former culture secretary, and one-time junior Conservative Party staffer, Oliver Dowden. Dowden himself being replaced by junior health Minister, one-time ‘I am a Celebrity – Get me out of her contestant’, and long-time Johnson loyalist, Nadine Dorries.

Further announcements across junior levels of the government are expected in the next 24 hours.