The prime minister has made major changes to his Cabinet today, with education and housing secretaries Gavin Williamson and Robert Jenrick among those removed from their posts in a Cabinet reshuffle.
Lord Chancellor and justice secretary Robert Buckland has also been shown the door as Boris Johnson shakes up his top team today.
Meanwhile foreign secretary Dominic Raab has replaced him as justice secretary and has also been given the position of deputy prime minister.
Taking Mr Raab’s old job is trade secretary Liz Truss, which will be seen as a substantial promotion.
Sajid Javid said he was ‘very pleased’ to stay in post as health secretary, so he could ‘see the job through’.
The Prime Minister has in the past been criticised for a lack of female ministers in his cabinet, particularly in senior positions.
Nadine Dorries has now been given the digital, culture, media and sport brief, while Nadhim Zahawi getting a promotion to take the job of education minister.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, Environment Secretary George Eustice and Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey will all keep their jobs.
Ben Wallace will also remain in his post as defence secretary, while Stephen Barclay MP will become Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and minister for the Cabinet Office.
Alok Sharma remains as Cop26 president, Kwasi Kwarteng will continue as business secretary, and Mark Spencer remains chief whip.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan said ‘Trade it is’, confirming her new cabinet role as
international trade secretary, as she left Number 10.
In a tweet after the reshuffle, Mr Johnson said: ‘The Cabinet I have appointed today will work tirelessly to unite and level up the whole country.
‘We will build back better from the pandemic and deliver on your priorities.
‘Now let’s get on with the job.’
It comes after Mr Raab faced criticism recently for his handling of the exit from Afghanistan, prompting some to doubt his future as foreign secretary.
He did not return home from his holiday at a five star retreat in Crete as the country fell to the Taliban, and later admitted that with ‘hindsight’ he would have acted differently.
Mr Raab was said to have been digging in his heels and refusing anything that could be seen as a demotion in Mr Johnson’s shake-up.
BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg tweeted: ‘No 10 keen for this not to be seen as demotion after Afghanistan – Raab gets Deputy PM title too, sources emphasising his experience as lawyer.’
But some would argue losing one’s position as foreign secretary – seen as one of the top three cabinet jobs – still counts as a demotion.
Senior minister Michael Gove has been made communities and housing secretary with ‘cross government responsibility for levelling up and the union’.
Mr Williamson’s departure comes after a turbulent year, as he faced strong criticism over his handing of the Department for Education.
The Prime Minister had spoken in the Commons to defend him – but the same day, he hit the headlines again, this time for mixing up Marcus Rashford and Maro Itoje, both black sports stars campaigning on social justice issues.
Mr Wiliamson has been minister as the pandemic caused chaos in the education system, with concerns that grade inflation is undermining confidence in qualifications.
For the second year in succession, students have been given marks based on assessment by their teachers, not exams.
A Level results this year showed almost 45% were awarded an A or A* — with private school pupils seeing the biggest boost.
He tweeted: ‘It has been a privilege to serve as Education Secretary since 2019. Despite the challenges of the global pandemic, I’m particularly proud of the transformational reforms I’ve led in Post 16 education: in further education colleges, our Skills agenda, apprenticeships and more.
‘I look forward to continuing to support the Prime Minster and the government.’
Meanwhile, Mr Buckland tweeted: ‘It has been an honour to serve in 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.’
The courts system has been under huge strain during the pandemic, but a specific reason for his departure was unclear.
Confirming his departure this afternoon, Mr Jenrick tweeted: ‘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.’
Mr Jenrick’s position had been in the balance for some time after admitting he ‘unlawfully’ granted planning permission for a development so a Tory donor could save on costs.
Letters and texts revealed the housing secretary had been urged by former media mogul Richard Desmond to approve the scheme in east London so ‘Marxists’ didn’t get ‘doe [sic] for nothing’.
It also emerged this weekend that Mr Jenrick and other ministers were forced to re-write their Planning Bill – designed to increase housebuilding – after 100 Tory rebel MPs said they would vote against it.
Backbenchers argued the legislation – aiming to achieve an annual target of 300,000 new homes – would drown out the voices of locals objecting to new developments.
Earlier today, a Number 10 source confirmed the reshuffle was coming, saying: ‘The PM will today conduct a reshuffle to put in place a strong and united team to build back better from the pandemic.
‘Yesterday, the PM set out his plan for managing Covid during the autumn and winter.
‘But the Government must also redouble our efforts to deliver on the people’s priorities.
‘The PM will be appointing ministers this afternoon with a focus on uniting and levelling up the whole country.’
Mr Johnson’s official spokesman said he ‘understood the importance of having a diverse Cabinet’ but would not guarantee that the number of women around the table would be maintained at least at its current level.
Former top aide Dominic Cummings has branded the shake-up the ‘Carrie reshuffle’, suggesting that Mrs Johnson’s allies would be rewarded.
But asked if the Prime Minister’s wife had been consulted on the reshuffle, the official Downing Street spokesman said: ‘No.’
Minister without portfolio Amanda Milling has lost her job as Conservative Party co-chair, but it is not yet clear whether she has been sacked.
Sky New’s chief political correspondent Jon Craig tweeted: ‘Amanda Milling & aides wandering around Parliament looking lost. Just stared straight ahead when I asked her about her fate. Looks utterly miserable. Looks like back benches for her.’
More announcements are expected this afternoon, but Priti Patel and Rishi Sunak have both been confirmed as staying on as Home Secretary and Chancellor, respectively.
Health minister Nadine Dorries, a staunch ally of the PM’s, is rumoured to be expecting a promotion.
There has been speculation for some time that a reshuffle was imminent.
On Monday, Mr Johnson side-stepped questions from reporters about whether he was planning to make changes, saying: ‘I think people in this country are focused on bouncing through from Covid and the plan for jobs.’
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