Karen Bradley named new UK culture secretary

Karen Bradley is to take over from John Whittingdale as culture secretary, Prime Minister Theresa May has announced.

Bradley has been the MP for Staffordshire Moorlands since May 2010, and a home office minister since 2014.

Her appointment comes two months after Whittingdale and the BBC agreed a major overhaul of the corporation.

On Thursday morning, Whittingdale tweeted: "Has been a privilege to serve as culture secretary."

"I wish my successor every success and will continue to support creative industries," he added.

Bradley was born in the Moorlands in 1970. She attended her local comprehensive school in Buxton and later studied maths at Imperial College London.

Prior to working in politics, Bradley spent 20 years working in business, with roles as an accountant and tax manager for firms including KPMG and Deloitte & Touche.

Her official websites states she fought the parliamentary seat of Manchester Withington in 2005, but was not elected to parliament until 2010, as MP for Staffordshire Moorlands.

In February 2014, she replaced James Brokenshire as the minister for security, a post based in the Home Office - where Theresa May was the secretary of state.

After the 2015 general election, in which she was re-elected with 51% of the vote, she was appointed to a new role within the Home Office - minister for preventing abuse and exploitation.