Cabinet culled: Who wins and who loses in PM's brutal shake-up?

15 September 2021, 18:53 | Updated: 17 September 2021, 17:55

• Former foreign secretary Dominic Raab DEMOTED to justice secretary - but gets lord chancellor and deputy PM role
• Gavin Williamson AXED as education secretary, replaced by ex-vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi
• Liz Truss TAKES OVER Foreign Office after stint as international trade secretary
• Robert Jenrick and Robert Buckland BOOTED from Cabinet as housing and justice secretaries
• Michael Gove PROMOTED to housing secretary after serving as Cabinet Office Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

By Nick Hardinges

@NHardinges

Boris Johnson's radical reshuffle saw allies demoted, outsiders promoted and some key names kept in place.

He is expected to continue his ministerial shake-up in the coming days as he reshapes the junior ranks following an overhaul of some of the Cabinet’s top positions in a brutal cull yesterday.

Former foreign secretary Dominic Raab was sacked from his post and moved down to justice secretary after a long conversation with the prime minister in Parliament.

To appease his effective second-in-command, the PM handed Mr Raab the titles of Lord Chancellor and Deputy Prime Minister, the latter of which had been previously vacant.

The move comes after Mr Raab presided over the crisis in Afghanistan.

He was replaced by Liz Truss - who had previously been heading the international trade department - meaning two of the Great Offices of State are now held by women, the other being Priti Patel, who will remain as home secretary.

Boris Johnson heaped praise on his new Cabinet, tweeting that it would "work tirelessly to unite and level up the whole country" and "deliver on your priorities".

Read more: 'That prat': Labour slams Williamson as Boris sacks him from top team

Watch: Gaffe-prone Williamson 'was more Sunday League than Premier League'

As it happened: Raab demoted, Truss promoted and Williamson sacked in reshuffle

Williamson 'more Sunday league than Premier league'

Gavin Williamson was less fortunate than Ms Truss, being axed as education secretary after a tenure plagued by gaffes and exam fiascos.

Stepping into his shoes is Nadhim Zahawi, who has overseen the UK's successful vaccine rollout and was touted as an MP who had earned a promotion to Cabinet.

But former housing and justice secretaries Robert Jenrick and Robert Buckland were also given the boot by the PM, with both sackings coming as a surprise, according to LBC's Westminster Correspondent Ben Kentish.

Ben Kentish introduces the new Culture Secretary, Nadine Dorries.

Michael Gove was shifted into the Housing Department, leaving the roles of Cabinet Office Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster free for Stephen Barclay to step into.

The newly-appointed Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government will also take on cross-government responsibility for levelling up and will retain ministerial responsibility for the Union and elections.

Health minister Nadine Dorries was also handed a promotion, stepping into the culture secretary role and replacing Oliver Dowden, who was bumped up to chairman of the Conservative Party and will remain in Cabinet as minister without portfolio.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan moved into the trade secretary role vacated by Ms Truss, who will keep her role as minister for women and equalities despite her promotion to foreign secretary.

Helping in the trade department will be Penny Mordaunt, who has been moved from her post as paymaster general at the Cabinet Office. Michael Ellis will replace her as paymaster general, having previously been solicitor general.

Rishi Sunak will unsurprisingly remain as chancellor ahead of a significant spending review in just a few weeks time.

Liz Truss' appointment as Foreign Secretary is a 'huge promotion'

Likewise, Health Secretary Sajid Javid, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, Work and Pensions Secretary Thérèse Coffey and Environment Secretary George Eustice will all keep their jobs.

Mark Spencer is to continue as parliamentary secretary to the treasury and chief whip, while Alok Sharma will remain as COP 26 president.

Brandon Lewis will stay as Northern Ireland secretary, along with Simon Hart as Secretary of State for Wales and Alister Jack as Secretary of State for Scotland.

Co-chair of the Conservative Party Amanda Milling was removed from her post, while Nick Gibb was sacked as schools minister.

John Whittingdale has stepped down as media and data minister.

And Brexit supremo Lord Frost will stay on as Minister of State in the Cabinet Office.