Summary

  • Boris Johnson undertakes a major reshuffle of his government ministers

  • Liz Truss is the new foreign secretary, replacing Dominic Raab

  • Raab is confirmed in three roles - justice secretary, Lord Chancellor and deputy prime minister

  • Former vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi is the new education secretary

  • He replaces Gavin Williamson - who was the first to be sacked from his post in these moves

  • Nadine Dorries is secretary of state for culture, media and sport

  • She replaces Oliver Dowden, who moves to the Cabinet Office

  • Michael Gove is the new minister for housing, communities and local government and has responsibility for the UK's union

  • Steve Barclay replaces Gove as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Cabinet Office minister

  • Anne-Marie Trevelyan is international trade secretary

  • Robert Buckland is sacked as justice secretary; Robert Jenrick as communities secretary

  • Amanda Milling is no longer Conservative Party co-chair

  1. Raab ran an unhappy shippublished at 18:36 British Summer Time 15 September 2021

    James Landale
    Diplomatic correspondent

    Dominic Raab was foreign secretary for just over two years.

    In that time he helped shape the government’s "Global Britain" foreign policy, with a new focus on trade and security cooperation in Asia.

    He also toughened the UK’s stance towards Russia and China, introducing a new sanctions regime to target those guilty of human rights abuses.

    But he also ran an unhappy ship, with the Foreign Office struggling with budget cuts, low morale and a difficult merger with the International Development Department.

    His detractors said he was too controlling, losing the trust of some officials and ambassadors, with a technocratic style that some said lacked charm.

    And while he generally enjoyed support from Downing Street, the mishandling of the Afghanistan evacuation and his decision to stay on holiday cost him political capital.

  2. 'Great to be back in DWP' - Coffeypublished at 18:24 British Summer Time 15 September 2021

    Therese CoffeyImage source, Reuters

    Therese Coffey leaves Downing Street telling reporters: "Great to be back in DWP [Department for Work and Pensions]".

    So, we can take that to mean she is staying in her role as work and pensions secretary.

    And what's yet to be filled?

    Currently vacant ministerial jobs include chief secretary to the Treasury, vaccines minister, energy minister and health minister.

  3. Who's in, who's out, and who's staying?published at 18:19 British Summer Time 15 September 2021

    Nadhim ZahawiImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Thumbs up from the new education secretary - but will everyone else be pleased with the reshuffle?

    You'd be forgiven for being confused by the raft of changes announced in this afternoon's reshuffle.

    Here's a summary of some of the key moves announced by Boris Johnson:

    • Liz Truss, who was international trade secretary, becomes foreign secretary, replacing Dominic Raab
    • Dominic Raab becomes justice secretary and deputy PM
    • It means Robert Buckland vacates his role as justice secretary
    • Nadhim Zahawi - who was vaccines minister - becomes education secretary
    • He replaces Gavin Williamson
    • Michael Gove becomes housing secretary, replacing Robert Jenrick
    • Stephen Barclay replaces Gove - he becomes chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and minister for the Cabinet Office, leaving his previous role as chief secretary to the Treasury
    • Nadine Dorries replaces Oliver Dowden as culture secretary
    • Oliver Dowden is given the role of minister without portfolio and will be Conservative Party co-chair, replacing Amanda Milling
    • And replacing Liz Truss is Anne-Marie Trevelyan, who leaves her role as a business minister

    And as for who is staying put - Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Home Secretary Priti Patel, Health Secretary Sajid Javid, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng are all keeping their roles. Mark Spencer is staying as chief whip in charge of party discipline.

  4. 'Ready to take on the world' - minister leaves No 10 with new jobpublished at 18:17 British Summer Time 15 September 2021

    Anne-Marie TrevelyanImage source, PA Media

    Leaving Downing Street, the new International Trade Secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, said she was "ready to take on the world and is delighted with the new post".

    Stephen Barclay said he was "very happy" with his promotion from chief secretary to the Treasury to Cabinet Office minister.

    Oliver Dowden also said he was "very happy" about his own move from culture secretary to co-chair of the Conservative Party.

  5. Sharma remains climate summit chiefpublished at 18:09 British Summer Time 15 September 2021

    Another confirmation from Downing Street...

    SharmaImage source, No 10
  6. Kwarteng keeps business jobpublished at 18:00 British Summer Time 15 September 2021

    Kwasi KwartengImage source, PA Media

    And another one stays...

    Secretary for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Kwasi Kwarteng remains as the Secretary for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

    He took over the role earlier this year from Alok Sharma, who left to lead the COP 26 climate change conference.

  7. Javid stays as health secretarypublished at 17:59 British Summer Time 15 September 2021

    Sajid JavidImage source, Reuters

    It appears another cabinet member is staying in post.

    Sajid Javid has just tweeted, saying he is "very pleased to see the job through" at the Department of Health, and admitting it is his "toughest" job yet.

    The health secretary - who only took on the role in June - adds: "I'm absolutely determined to get our country through the pandemic, tackle the backlogs, and deliver lasting reforms to health and social care."

  8. Zahawi will 'pick up the baton' on educationpublished at 17:51 British Summer Time 15 September 2021

    Nadhim Zahawi

    We've been getting some reaction to the appointment of the new education secretary Nadhim Zahawi - and more on his predecessor's exit.

    David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, says it was "always going to be a bumpy ride for Gavin Williamson", having to lead the Department of Education in a pandemic.

    He also says he has worked with Zahawi before on apprenticeships and special educational needs and disability, adding: "I absolutely expect that he will pick up the baton and continue to champion colleges and their role in recovering from the pandemic and the levelling up agenda."

    Zahawi has also received some grudging praise from Labour's Jess Phillips.

    "He wouldn't be my choice obviously, but I genuinely feel relieved for the children of Birmingham including my own at this appointment," says the shadow minister.

    "Nadhim is competent and easy to work with and anyone would have been an improvement to be fair."

  9. What's it like to be victim of a reshuffle?published at 17:45 British Summer Time 15 September 2021

    Dominic Grieve (file image)Image source, Reuters

    Former attorney general Dominic Grieve, who was moved out of his post in a 2014 reshuffle, says it is "never very pleasant" to be demoted.

    In his case, the conversation took "about two and a half minutes", and while he was "slightly surprised", he recognised the then-prime minister David Cameron had made his decision.

    "Some colleagues have argued, but I don't think there's much point," sas the ex-Tory MP. "I expressed regret and that was it."

    He also says Dominic Raab going to justice is a "significant" move - also because it means the removal of Robert Buckland who was "doing a very good job in the circumstances".

    It is "intriguing", says Grieve, as to why Mr Buckland was regarded "as dispensable" in this way.

    "Only time will tell" if this indicates a policy shift from the PM, he adds, noting that Raab has a long history of hostility to the operation of the Human Rights Act.

  10. Trevelyan replaces Truss at trade departmentpublished at 17:37 British Summer Time 15 September 2021

    Trevelyan

    Anne-Marie Trevelyan leaves her role as business minister and becomes the new Secretary for International Trade Department.

    She replaces Liz Truss who has been promoted to foreign secretary.

  11. Barclay moves to Cabinet Officepublished at 17:34 British Summer Time 15 September 2021

    Stephen BarclayImage source, EPA

    Stephen Barclay has been appointed chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and minister for the Cabinet Office.

    He leaves behind his role as chief secretary to the Treasury.

    Our political editor, Laura Kuenssberg, describes it as "a bold move", given an important huge Spending Review is only weeks away.

  12. MPs react to Dorries appointmentpublished at 17:31 British Summer Time 15 September 2021

    Nadine Dorries

    Nadine Dorries' appointment as the new culture secretary is triggering quite different reactions from MPs.

    Conservative Michael Fabricant describes her appointment as an "excellent choice - someone who understands the meejah!"

    While on the other side of the political divide, the SNP's Pete Wishart says: "There are just certain things that make you think they can not be in the least bit serious..."

    And another opposition MP - the former Green party leader Caroline Lucas - tweeted: "Nadine Dorries as culture secretary? Satire is dead."

  13. Raab not offered deputy PM title at firstpublished at 17:27 British Summer Time 15 September 2021

    Laura Kuenssberg
    Political editor

    Dominic Raab was not offered the title of deputy prime minister at the beginning of his conversation with the prime minister earlier today, the BBC understands.

    However, after lengthy discussions, he was given the job in addition to the post of justice secretary.

    A source denied that he was angry, but it's understood he objects to some of the descriptions of his role in handling the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

  14. Ben Wallace stays in positionpublished at 17:20 British Summer Time 15 September 2021

    Ben WallaceImage source, PA Media

    Ben Wallace can rest easy.

    He has been confirmed in his role as defence secretary - a position he has held since Boris Johnson became prime minister in July 2019.

  15. Tory MP: Buckland was 'poorly treated'published at 17:17 British Summer Time 15 September 2021

    Robert Buckland
    Image caption,

    Robert Buckland was one of the first ministers sacked in the reshuffle

    Unlike the response to Williamson's departure, more have spoken kindly about the exit of the now-former Justice Secretary Robert Buckland.

    Sir Bob Neill, the Conservative MP who chairs the Commons Justice Committee, says Buckland was "poorly treated" and "collateral damage as part of the reshuffle".

    He tells BBC News the ex-minister had been a "very popular member of government" who often "went the extra mile", adding there is "no good reason other than he [the prime minister] seems to have needed to make some space".

    Sir Bob says he is looking forward "to working constructively" with the new man in the job, former secretary Dominic Raab, adding: "I am sure he will recognise the importance of the office that he now takes on."

    But, he says, this does not take away his "profound disappointment" at Buckland leaving the role.

  16. Climate summit chief Sharma heads into No 10published at 17:14 British Summer Time 15 September 2021

    Alok SharmaImage source, UK POOL

    Here's an interesting development.

    Alok Sharma, who is president of the COP26 UN climate summit taking place in Glasgow in November, has been spotted walking up Downing Street.

    He previously held this role alongside the role of business secretary - before he left the cabinet to focus full-time on the climate role in January.

  17. Education union 'can't pretend it is sorry Gavin Williamson is gone'published at 17:07 British Summer Time 15 September 2021

    Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, says: "We can’t pretend that we’re sorry Gavin Williamson has gone.

    "He really had lost the confidence of teachers and headteachers - I think of many parents."

    He says the prime minister "should have acted sooner" and that Gavin Williamson "really wouldn't engage with us" when suggestions were being made about how to make schools safer and how to run exams, for example.

    The union is open to working with whoever is next, says Courtney, and they want a secretary of state who will work with them to get money from the Treasury for education recovery and school funding.

  18. Zahawi becomes new education secretarypublished at 17:05 British Summer Time 15 September 2021
    Breaking

    Nadhim Zahawi

    Business minister and minister for vaccines Nadhim Zahawi has been confirmed as the new education secretary.

    He replaces Gavin Williamson, who lost the job earlier.

  19. County Councils look for progress with Govepublished at 16:59 British Summer Time 15 September 2021

    Michael GoveImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Michael Gove will lead on local government issues in his new job

    The County Councils Network is welcoming Michael Gove to his new role as housing, communities, and local government secretary.

    Its chairman, Councillor Tim Oliver, says there is a "huge agenda ahead for both national and local government", and he is looking forward to "continuing the great progress made on county devolution deals and securing ambitious new powers for our residents to help level-up their communities".

    He says there will be a lot more in Gove's in-tray, including local government finance, social care and reforming the planning system, but adds: "Knowing Mr Gove well as a Surrey MP, he is a champion of local authorities and their communities".

    Oliver also wishes the outgoing minister, Robert Jenrick, well, saying he was "a strong advocate for local government, particularly in making the case for councils during the worst of the pandemic".

  20. Dorries promoted to culture secretarypublished at 16:54 British Summer Time 15 September 2021
    Breaking

    Nadine Dorries

    Health minister Nadine Dorries has been confirmed as the new culture secretary, replacing Oliver Dowden who has been demoted to minister without portfolio at the Cabinet Office.

    She has just left Downing Street, where she was asked by reporters whether she is happy with her new role. "Very," she replies.