Shapps inherits a very different defence landscapepublished at 11:37 British Summer Time 31 August 2023

11:37 BST 31 August 2023

Frank Gardner
Security correspondent

Image source, Reuters

The defence landscape that Grant Shapps now inherits is very different from the one Ben Wallace took over in 2019.

Back then, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine had not yet taken place, British forces were still in Afghanistan, training up the doomed Afghan National Army.

Mali was expected to remain an important theatre of counter-insurgency operations with Britain working in tandem with the French. Western forces have since been expelled following a military coup there.

Today, the UK’s military support for Ukraine is the main effort in Defence with arsenals and warehouses emptying out much of their stored ordnance for shipment to the battlefield.

As the war drags on there is a risk of critical shortages of ammunition. What has also changed is the so-called 'tilt' to the Indo-Pacific where the UK is part of the tripartite AUKUS alliance with the US and Australia, an effort to counter China’s maritime expansion.

Given the much-reduced size of Britain’s armed forces there are many who question whether making such a commitment on the other side of the world is not a task too far.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has paid tribute to outgoing Defence Secretary Ben Wallace as a "rock-solid figure, for our country, for our party and for the Ukrainian people".

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, external, he wrote: "You've defined what it means to serve our country. Thank you."

Let's continue with the reaction to Grant Shapps's appointment with some scepticism coming from a former chief of the general staff of the British Army.

Lord Dannatt says the defence budget is under a lot of pressure as he cites the war in Ukraine as a huge factor.

"He will have to work really hard to understand his portfolio at a Whitehall level and how the armed forces work," Lord Dannatt tells BBC News.

"The big question is whether Grant Shapps is going to be a political appointee to support the prime minister in cabinet or is he going to understand the needs of defence.

"I think there is a risk that certainly the debate on resources for defence stagnates, at least until Grant Shapps can get his head around his portfolio."

Image source, PA Media

So what does the UK's defence community make of Shapps's appointment?

Prof Michael Clarke - former Director of the Royal United Services Institute think tank - believes those in the armed forces will just "shrug their shoulders and say this makes no difference".

"It was always going to be a caretaker appointment from now until the election," Prof Clarke tells the BBC.

"Shapps is a great caretaker. Six months in Energy, three months in Business and three days as home secretary.

"We don't really know how good he is at running the big departments, but we'll find out."

If you're just joining us, or want a recap, here's a summary.

• Energy Secretary Grant Shapps has been named new Defence Secretary, replacing Ben Wallace
• It is Shapps's fifth cabinet role in under a year, having also served as transport secretary, home secretary and business secretary - all in the past 12 months
• His latest role will see him continuing to rally support for Kyiv in its fight against Russia, and championing spending on UK defence, writing on social media, Shapps said he was "looking forward to working with the brave men and women of our Armed Forces"
• Labour congratulated Shapps on his new role, but warned of 13 years of "Tory defence failures"; the Lib Dems accused the PM of appointing a "yes-man"
• Claire Coutinho takes up the post of energy secretary. A Sunak protege, the promotion marks a huge career leap for the former parliamentary under-secretary of state

Shapps's appointment as defence secretary is the former Tory chair’s fifth cabinet role in less than a year.

Last September, he was removed as transport secretary by incoming Prime Minister Liz Truss.

In October, she brought him back into the cabinet as home secretary when Suella Braverman resigned from the post. Six days later, Truss herself was gone.

New PM Sunak appointed him business secretary.

In February this year, Shapps then took on a new role of energy security and net zero secretary.

This morning, he has been promoted to defence secretary.

New role will test more than Coutinho's loyalty to PMpublished at 10:43 British Summer Time 31 August 2023

10:43 BST 31 August 2023

Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent

Image source, PA Media

Claire Coutinho’s appointment as energy secretary is a huge promotion. As a parliamentary under-secretary of state with responsibility for childcare she wasn't even at the rung below the cabinet, but the rung below that.

Rishi Sunak's decision to catapult her into the cabinet - as its youngest member in fact - marks her out instantly as a major figure in Conservative politics present and future.

She is the first member of the large 2019 intake of Tory MPs to make it to the cabinet table.

The huge vote of confidence is not too much of a surprise. Before entering the Commons for the safe seat of East Surrey, Coutinho, 38, was an adviser to Sunak, who at the time was chief secretary to the Treasury.

After she entered became an MP and Sunak became chancellor they effectively continued the partnership, with Coutinho serving as his parliamentary aide.

She was a leading figure behind the scenes in Sunak’s leadership campaigns last summer, and is widely seen to have performed impressively as a minister at a time when childcare has rocketed up the political agenda.

Now she is being entrusted with a true political hot potato. The Conservatives remain committed to net zero - indeed the 2050 target is written into law - but the more precise question of how to achieve it is increasingly controversial within the party.

Keeping all wings of her fractious party on side will test more than just Coutinho's loyalty.

Image source, PA

Claire Coutinho has been confirmed as the new energy secretary, replacing Grant Shapps.

Here is a little bit about her:

• Studied maths and philosophy at Oxford University
• Worked at Merrill Lynch before moving to the think tank, the Centre for Social Justice
• Elected Conservative MP for East Surrey in December 2019
• A close ally of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
• Worked as a special adviser in the Treasury

• Served as minister for disabled people and minister for children in the education department
• Contestant on Channel 4 cooking game show The Taste, involving Nigella Lawson, in 2014

Another reshuffle appointment.

Claire Coutinho has just been given Grant Shapps's previous role of Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Labour has congratulated Shapps on his new role, but warned he is taking charge after more than a decade of "Tory defence failures".

Shadow defence secretary John Healey said on X, formerly Twitter, external: "The first duty of any government is to keep our country safe & I will always work with the new Defence Secretary on this basis, especially on Ukraine.

"But after 13 years of Tory defence failures, a change at the top will not change this record."

Frank Gardner
BBC News, Security Correspondent

Defence figures, speaking on condition of anonymity, have given the appointment of Grant Shapps a mixed reaction.

While some bemoan his lack of military experience compared to his predecessor Ben Wallace, who served in the Scots Guards, others say Shapps may have some advantages on his side.

His previous work in the Department for Transport will have given him some idea of logistics, a key factor in supporting any military operation.

This may also help him grip the thorny problem of defence acquisition which has been plagued by delays, failures and overspends.

But there is no doubt that Wallace will be missed by many in the military for his relentless push for more resources.

His forward-leaning stance on Ukraine often made the UK one of the first to offer more lethal weaponry like long-range missiles and main battle tanks, something which won him few friends in the White House.

Image source, Reuters

Only last week, Grant Shapps was on a visit to Ukraine, as part of his previous job responsible for energy security.

His visit to Ukraine included a tour of a power station badly damaged by Russian bombing, and a visit to the Wall of Remembrance to pay tribute to killed Ukrainian soldiers.

He met senior Ukrainian ministers and energy industry figures in Kyiv to discuss the UK’s support for the country’s recovery - and to highlight the UK’s help in the form of a £192m loan guarantee to enable a UK-based company to supply Ukraine with uranium enrichment services.

It’s a trip he may have to make in the future, this time representing the UK’s military.

New Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has just tweeted on X, external.

"I’m honoured to be appointed as Defence Secretary by Rishi Sunak.

"I’d like to pay tribute to the enormous contribution Ben Wallace has made to UK defence & global security over the last 4 years."

He says he's looking forward to "working with the brave men and women of our Armed Forces".

Shapps pledges to continue the UK’s support for Ukraine "in their fight against Putin’s barbaric invasion".

Some more reaction coming to us from rival political parties, the Liberal Democrats have been critical, saying Rishi Sunak has appointed someone to his fifth cabinet role in less than a year.

The party's defence spokesperson Richard Foord MP says: "The Conservative government merry-go-round has to stop.

"They have taken the armed forces for granted for too long, and we are all left less safe as a result.

"At a time when the armed forces need someone to stand up for them, Rishi Sunak has appointed a yes-man."

Chris Mason
Political editor

A minister texts me to say they hear the new energy security and net zero secretary will be Claire Coutinho.

Minutes later, she is seen walking up Downing Street.

This is so often how the choreography of reshuffles play out.

With official confirmation Grant Shapps is the new defence secretary, there is, after all, another cabinet vacancy to fill.

Claire Coutinho will be a new name to many outside Westminster.

She has been a junior education minister. But, she is not a new name to Rishi Sunak. She worked as a special adviser at the Treasury when, yes, the PM was a minister there.

The now prime minister did both the top job, chancellor, and the number two job, chief secretary to the Treasury, there.

Shapps has bags of government experiencepublished at 09:42 British Summer Time 31 August 2023

09:42 BST 31 August 2023

Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent

This is Grant Shapps's fifth cabinet job in less than a year. Even by the wild standards of the last year in Westminster, that is quite something.

Rishi Sunak has been eager to keep the impact of the need to replace Ben Wallace as defence secretary to a minimum. He wanted to bide his time for a much bigger shakeup of his top team, likely later this year.

But the prime minister has clearly decided that appointing Shapps is worth the destabilisation of having to appoint a new energy secretary – Shapps’s old job.

Why? Firstly, Shapps has bags of experience. Not just on his tour of government departments in the last year – he has been a senior minister on and off since 2010, five years before Sunak even entered parliament.

Secondly, he has been involved in the issue of the Ukraine war for some time through his energy security brief.

Finally, he is seen as one of the government’s most assured and capable communicators. With an election around the corner, that skill is clearly being prized by Sunak and his team.

It's official. Grant Shapps has been confirmed as the new defence secretary.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson appointed Wallace as defence secretary when he entered Downing Street in 2019.

On X, formerly Twitter, he welcomed Shapps' expected appointment., external.

Chris Mason
Political editor

It is Grant Shapps. So said a text from one of Shapps’ ministerial colleagues to me at about 08:15 this morning.

And then, 40 minutes or so later, he turns up in Downing Street with a big smile at about the time we were expecting the new defence secretary to be appointed.

He is currently in the building, and we await the official announcement.

But, this being Westminster, the chat among his colleagues about his suitability or otherwise for the job has already begun.

"He’s the right calibre" says one senior figure. "The key thing in the Ministry of Defence is not favouring any of the forces over any of the others. I think as an outsider he will be able to do that."

Another colleague is less positive.

"We've gone for media over capabilities. The minister for the Today programme is the minister for defence" this minister reflects – suggesting Shapps' reputation as a good communicator has been put before anything else.

Image source, PA Media