Cabinet changes: Who is in Boris Johnson's top team?

8 July 2022

Cabinet reshuffles

Prime Minister Boris Johnson outside 10 Downing Street - 14 September 2021 (Getty Images)

By The Visual Journalism Team

BBC News

Boris Johnson has appointed several new ministers to his cabinet, to replace those whose resignations this week ultimately prompted him to announce he would step down as prime minister.

A fuller reshuffle is likely once Mr Johnson's successor is in place, but in the interim period Nadhim Zahawi has been promoted to chancellor, after Rishi Sunak quit, and Stephen Barclay has replaced Sajid Javid as health secretary.

James Cleverly and Greg Clark also return to the cabinet, replacing Mr Zahawi as education secretary and the sacked Michael Gove as levelling up, housing and communities secretary respectively.

Who else is in the current cabinet? Here is a guide to the people in Mr Johnson's cabinet, with the latest new faces, as well as those who have changed roles.

Boris Johnson

Prime Minister @BorisJohnson

Boris Johnson became prime minister in December 2019 and immediately faced the UK's looming exit from the EU and the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
The health crisis has been described as perhaps the biggest challenge the country has faced since World War Two.
Mr Johnson’s election win secured him the largest Tory majority in Parliament since 1987.
He succeeded Theresa May as prime minister. His only previous cabinet post was foreign secretary, which he quit over differences with Mrs May over Brexit.
Since being at 10 Downing Street, he married his fiancee Carrie Symonds and the couple have had two children.
Nadhim Zahawi

Chancellor @nadhimzahawi

Nadhim Zahawi has been appointed chancellor following the resignation of Rishi Sunak.
A former child refugee who fled Iraq with his parents in the 1970s, Mr Zahawi co-founded the market research firm YouGov and is now believed to be one of the richest politicians in the House of Commons.
A strong media performer, the minister has been relied upon regularly to defend the prime minister on broadcast media rounds.
Mr Zahawi was promoted to the cabinet in September 2021 after overseeing the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine programme and served as education secretary for eight months.
He was elected as Conservative MP for Stratford-on-Avon in May 2010 and has also served as a business minister.
Priti Patel

Home Secretary @pritipatel

Priti Patel was appointed home secretary in Boris Johnson’s first cabinet and has kept her position since then.
A prominent Brexiteer, Ms Patel had previously argued that Mr Johnson was the only person who could save Brexit and the Tories.
She had previously served as Theresa May's international development secretary, until she was forced to quit following a row over unauthorised meetings with Israeli politicians.
She was first elected to the seat of Witham, Essex, in 2010, after working for several years in PR for the Conservative Party, as well as lobbying for tobacco and alcohol industries.
Liz Truss

Foreign Secretary @trussliz

Liz Truss replaced Dominic Raab as foreign secretary in September 2021.
Her first role in Boris Johnson's cabinet was as international trade secretary.
She was previously in Theresa May’s cabinet as the first female lord chancellor between 2016 and 2017. She served as environment secretary in David Cameron's government from 2014-16.
Ms Truss was elected to Parliament in 2010 after serving as deputy director of think tank Reform.
In a widely-publicised speech in June 2018, she attacked cabinet colleagues for demanding more money, saying it would only lead to higher taxation.
Kit Malthouse

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster @kitmalthouse

Kit Malthouse replaces Stephen Barclay as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
He was previously a minister jointly at the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice and attended cabinet.
He came to the fore in the Brexit debate, when his name was put to a so-called compromise plan to replace Theresa May's proposed Northern Ireland backstop with "alternative arrangements".
He was a deputy mayor of London from 2008, serving under Boris Johnson, and became MP for North West Hampshire in 2015.
A chartered accountant who has run a number of small businesses, he lays claim to signing trade deals around the world in more than two decades of frontline politics.
Ben Wallace

Defence Secretary @BWallaceMP

Ben Wallace has been defence secretary since July 2019.
Mr Wallace trained at Sandhurst before joining the Scots Guards as a platoon commander.
During his eight-year spell in the Army, he served in Northern Ireland, Germany, Cyprus and Central America.
He was a member of the Scottish Parliament, before winning his seat of Lancaster and Wyre in 2005.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan

International Trade Secretary @annietrev

The MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed replaced Liz Truss as international trade secretary in September 2021.
She returned after losing her place in the cabinet when the Department for International Development was scrapped.
Ms Trevelyan was promoted to a role as Armed Forces minister shortly after the Conservatives’ 2019 election victory.
An outspoken Brexiteer, she resigned from a previous junior ministerial role in November 2018 in protest at the Brexit withdrawal deal negotiated by former PM Theresa May.
The former chartered accountant has also served on the Public Accounts Committee, responsible for scrutinising government spending.
Stephen Barclay

Health Secretary @SteveBarclay

Stephen Barclay has become health secretary after Sajid Javid quit the role.
He had been Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and minister for the Cabinet Office since September 2021.
In February, Boris Johnson also appointed him as the new chief of staff at No 10.
He had previously served as chief secretary to the Treasury and Brexit secretary.
The former insurance company solicitor was elected MP for North East Cambridgeshire in 2010.
James Cleverly

Education Secretary @JamesCleverly

James Cleverly has taken over as education secretary after Nadhim Zahawi was made chancellor and his replacement, Michelle Donelan, quit hours later.
The former soldier, who rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Royal Artillery, is one of the party’s most effective media performers.
Theresa May made him party chairman and Boris Johnson initially promoted him to the cabinet as minister without portfolio before demoting him in his February 2020 reshuffle.
Despite supporting Mrs May’s Withdrawal Agreement, he is popular with Brexiteers and served in the London Assembly while Mr Johnson was mayor.
The father-of-two has been MP for Braintree in Essex since 2015.
Jacob Rees-Mogg

Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency @Jacob_Rees_Mogg

Jacob Rees-Mogg takes on a newly created role in cabinet having previously been an attending member as the Leader of the House of Commons.
He is one of the Conservative Party's highest profile Brexiteers and a key member of party's European Research Group (ERG).
He was a constant critic of former Prime Minister Theresa May over Brexit.
Before being elected MP for North East Somerset in 2010, Mr Rees-Mogg worked in finance, originally based in Hong Kong and later moving back to London. He set up his own investment management company in 2007.
Mr Rees-Mogg, a Catholic, is married with six children. He is against abortion and gay marriage, but it was his position on Brexit, as well as his old-fashioned dress and courteous manner, which have brought him mainstream attention.
Nadine Dorries

Culture Secretary @NadineDorries

Nadine Dorries remains culture secretary, having replaced Oliver Dowden in the role in September 2021.
She was previously a minister for health and social care.
Ms Dorries was elected as the Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire in May 2005.
In November 2012, she was temporarily suspended from the Conservative party after taking part in reality TV programme I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.
Before she entered politics Ms Dorries trained as a nurse, then went on to set up her own business and later became a director at BUPA.
Kwasi Kwarteng

Business Secretary @KwasiKwarteng

Kwasi Kwarteng remains as business secretary.
The MP for Spelthorne in Surrey, seen as a rising star on the right of the party for many years, had been energy minister since July 2019.
He was previously a junior Brexit minister.
Before becoming an MP in 2010, he worked as an analyst in financial services.
Greg Clark

Levelling Up, Housing and Communities @GregClarkMP

Greg Clark was named as levelling up, housing and communities secretary after Michael Gove was sacked by Boris Johnson.
He is responsible for "levelling up" - the programme to help communities who feel they have been left behind.
Mr Clark was local government and communities secretary – covering much of the same brief as his latest role – for a year under David Cameron, and had been a minister in several other departments during the coalition.
He also served in Theresa May’s cabinet as business secretary and, more recently, chaired the Commons Science and Technology Select Committee.
A former business consultant and BBC executive, Mr Clark has been MP for Royal Tunbridge Wells since 2005.
Therese Coffey

Work & Pensions @theresecoffey

Therese Coffey remains as work and pensions secretary.
The former environment minister was initially appointed to the role after Amber Rudd resigned over the government's approach to Brexit.
Ms Coffey has previously served in a number of roles including Commons deputy leader and assistant whip.
She backed Remain in the 2016 referendum and voted in favour of Theresa May's Brexit deal.
However, she later spoke about the need to honour the referendum result and supported Boris Johnson's Tory leadership bid.
Dominic Raab

Justice Secretary, Lord Chancellor and Deputy Prime Minister @DominicRaab

Dominic Raab replaced Robert Buckland as justice secretary in September 2021.
Mr Raab faced criticism and calls for his resignation over his handling of the Afghanistan crisis.
He was appointed foreign secretary and first secretary of state in Boris Johnson's first cabinet.
A staunch Brexiteer, Mr Raab served as a justice minister in 2015, but was sacked by Theresa May when she became prime minister the following year. He made a return as Brexit secretary in July 2018 after the resignation of David Davis, but quit only months later in opposition to Mrs May’s Brexit deal.
Mr Raab started his career as an international lawyer, before joining the Foreign Office as a diplomat.
Grant Shapps

Transport Secretary @grantshapps

Grant Shapps remains transport secretary. The former international development minister was appointed to transport in July 2019.
He was once seen as a high-flyer in the Tory party until he resigned following allegations he ignored warnings about bullying when he was party co-chairman.
He was born in Watford and educated at a local grammar school, before going on to Manchester Polytechnic to study business and finance. He later set up his own successful printing business.
Mr Shapps was elected MP for Welwyn Hatfield in Hertfordshire in 2005.
George Eustice

Environment Secretary @DefraGovUK

George Eustice has been environment secretary since February 2020.
Mr Eustice previously held ministerial posts under David Cameron and Theresa May, but resigned in 2019 in protest the latter's promise to allow MPs a vote on delaying Brexit if her deal failed to pass the House of Commons.
He has represented the Cornish constituency of Camborne and Redruth since 2010.
Shailesh Vara

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland @ShaileshVara

Shailesh Vara was appointed Northern Ireland secretary following Brandon Lewis’s resignation.
He was a minister at the Northern Ireland Office from July 2018 to November 2018.
He has been a minister in the justice and work & pensions departments, and also spent time as a government whip.
Mr Vara, who is married with two children, was elected Conservative MP for North West Cambridgeshire in 2005.
Alister Jack

Scottish Secretary @ScotSecOfState

Businessman Alister Jack was elected MP for Dumfries and Galloway in 2017 and has supported what he calls "a successful Brexit for Scotland".
He founded tent-hire and self-storage companies and is also a dairy farmer.
His constituency includes the busiest ferry-port serving Northern Ireland.
He was appointed assistant government whip in February 2019.
Robert Buckland

Secretary of State for Wales @RobertBuckland

Robert Buckland returns to the cabinet, becoming Welsh secretary following Simon Hart’s resignation.
The former solicitor general moved to be prisons minister in the justice department and served as justice secretary from July 2019 to September 2021.
He supported Boris Johnson for the leadership describing him as a "moderate, open-minded, one-nation Conservative".
He was elected MP for South Swindon at the second attempt in 2010, overturning a Labour majority, and has subsequently held the seat with an increased share of the vote.
He was born in Llanelli and practised as a lawyer specialising in criminal law and planning before becoming an MP.
Baroness Evans

Leader of Lords @UKHouseofLords

Baroness Evans was appointed Lords Leader in 2016, her first ministerial role since being ennobled by David Cameron in 2014.
She attended London's Henrietta Barnett School and Cambridge University, where she studied social and political sciences.
She went on to become deputy director of the Conservative research department.
She was previously deputy director of the centre-right Policy Exchange think-tank.
She was also director of the New Schools Network, the organisation set up by Rachel Wolf, which runs the free schools programme.
Andrew Stephenson

Minister without portfolio @Andrew4Pendle

Andrew Stephenson has become minister without portfolio, attending cabinet, and remains a transport minister.
He has previously spent time as a minister in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development.
He has also been a government whip.
Mr Stephenson was first elected as Conservative MP for Pendle in May 2010.
Simon Clarke

Chief Secretary to the Treasury @SimonClarkeMP

Simon Clarke is chief secretary to the treasury, and also attends cabinet.
The MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland was previously a minister in the housing, communities and local government department.
Mr Clarke, a qualified solicitor, worked as a policy specialist on health and education before being elected in 2017.
Mark Spencer

Leader of the Commons @Mark_Spencer

Mark Spencer moves from the role of government enforcer as the chief whip to the Leader of the House.
Mr Spencer had served in the whips' office since 2016 and was also parliamentary secretary to the Treasury.
From farming family, Mr Spencer did not attend Oxbridge, unlike many of his colleagues. He attended Shuttleworth Agricultural College before joining the family farming business.
He started his political career as a local councillor and won the Sherwood seat from Labour in the 2010 general election.
Chris Heaton-Harris

Chief Whip @chhcalling

The MP for Daventry moves from the Foreign Office to become the new chief whip, in charge of disciplining Conservative MPs.
He was first elected in 2010 but before becoming a politician, ran his family's wholesale fruit and vegetable business in New Covent Garden Market.
The former MEP is a qualified football referee and referees on the Northamptonshire Combination League.
Michael Ellis

Minister of State, Cabinet Office @Michael_Ellis1

Michael Ellis QC has been appointed minister for the Cabinet Office.
He will remain paymaster general, which he was appointed last year.
Mr Ellis worked as a barrister for 17 years before being elected MP for Northampton North in 2010.
His legal experience has also seen him given the role of attorney general and he became a member of the Privy Council in 2019.
Johnny Mercer

Minister of State, Cabinet Office @JohnnyMercerUK

Johnny Mercer has been named minister for veterans' affairs in the Cabinet Office and will also attend cabinet.
He served as a defence minister and Cabinet Office minister - without attending cabinet - between 2019 and 2021, having been elected MP for Plymouth Moor View in 2015.
Before becoming an MP he had served in the Army for 12 years and completed three tours in Afghanistan.
He is on both the Commons defence and health select committees and chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group for Mental Health.