Michael Gove exits education; Matt Hancock takes construction brief; Brandon Lewis becomes housing and planning minister
Nicky Morgan is the new education secretary after Michael Gove was moved from the department to become the government鈥檚 chief whip as part of David Cameron鈥檚 ministerial reshuffle.
In other key moves, skills minister Matt Hancock has taken over from Michael Fallon as energy and construction minister, with Fallon appointed defence secretary, while planning minister Nick Boles has been moved to the business and education departments.
This morning the prime minister said Gove would have 鈥渁n enhanced role in campaigning and doing broadcast media interviews鈥� alongside his chief whip role.
Nicky Morgan (pictured) was previously financial secretary to the Treasury as well as as minister for women and equalities, and will retain the latter brief in her new role at the Department for Education.
She was elected into parliament in 2010 as MP for Loughborough.
At a glance: Key changes in government reshuffle
- Nicky Morgan replaces Michael Gove as education secretary, while Nick Gibb takes up the role of schools minister
- Matt Hancock replaces Michael Fallon as business minister, with responsibility for energy and construction
- Fallon becomes defence secretary
- Greg Barker steps down as energy minister. His responsibility for the Green Deal and energy efficiency has been handed to Amber Rudd, who has been appointed as parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department of Energy and Climate Change
- Planning minister Nick Boles moves to business and education departments
- Brandon Lewis has been promoted to minister of state in the Department for Communities and Local Government and has been handed the housing and planning brief
- Environment secretary Owen Paterson leaves his role and is replaced by Liz Truss
- Transport minister Stephen Hammond leaves his role, and is replaced by John Hayes
- Universities minister David Willets leaves his role and will step down from parliament at the next election. He is replaced by Greg Clark.
- Sir Bob Kerslake is to step down as head of the Civil Service in the autumn and will retire as permanent secretary of the Department for Communities and Local Government next February.
Business minister Michael Fallon, who held responsibility for construction as part of his brief, has been appointed defence secretary to replace Philip Hammond. Hammond has been appointed foreign secretary in place of William Hague.
Fallon will be replaced at the business department by Matt Hancock, who is currently skills minister. Hancock will also attend cabinet.
Planning minister Nick Boles has been appointed as a minister of state in both the business and education departments, while Brandon Lewis has been promoted to minister of state in the Department for Communities and Local Government and has been handed the housing and planning brief.
It is not clear yet if current housing minister Kris Hopkins will lose his responsibility for housing.
Last night energy minister as part of the reshuffle. Barker will also step down as an MP at the next election. Barker has been replaced by Amber Rudd, who has been appointed as parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
Reshuffle reaction
On Matt Hancock鈥檚 appointment 鈥�
Sarah McMonagle, head of external affairs at the Federation of Master Builders, said Hancock鈥檚 invitation to attend cabinet was a positive move.
She said: 鈥淭he fact that the PM has invited Hancock to attend cabinet gives me confidence that he recognises how important our industry is in terms of delivering the government鈥檚 economic, social and environmental objectives.鈥�
鈥淲e hope that Hancock does not repeat the mistakes made by his predecessor Michael Fallon who did not make the most of this unique position that straddles both construction and energy policy.
鈥淢ore specifically, we felt he didn鈥檛 do enough in terms of driving forward the retrofit agenda, an area where government still has a mountain to climb.
鈥淎lso when we compare Fallon to his predecessor Mark Prisk, who tirelessly worked with our sector in both government and opposition, he was not the passionate champion he could have been.鈥�
On Greg Barker鈥檚 exit 鈥� and Amber Rudd鈥檚 appointment 鈥�
Paul King, chief executive of the UK Green 黑洞社区 Council, said Barker had 鈥減rovided unstinting support for climate and energy policy in a very difficult political and economic climate鈥� and was 鈥渁 tireless champion of energy efficiency鈥�.
He added: 鈥淗e will leave a big gap in the Tory party - it鈥檚 difficult not to fear for the future of blue-green politics.鈥�
鈥淭his is one of the most important briefs in government and Amber Rudd can鈥檛 simply run out the clock to the election. There are of some vitally important pieces of policy that need action in this parliament, not least the promised mandatory energy performance standards for some of the UK鈥檚 most inefficient buildings.
鈥淕reg Barker provided unstinting support for climate and energy policy in a very difficult political and economic climate and will leave a big hole in Government. But we look forward to working with the new Parliamentary Under Secretary to transform the energy efficiency and affordability of the UK鈥檚 building stock.
鈥淲e also look forward to working with Matt Hancock to build the business case for green construction, in which cost and carbon savings go hand in hand with better and more productive buildings.鈥�
Energy secretary Ed Davey said: 鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to welcoming Matthew Hancock and Amber Rudd to DECC. They join us as we are increasingly demonstrating the success of our policies to meet Britain鈥檚 energy and climate change challenge. I know their combined experience and abilities will be an enormous asset as we complete this Government鈥檚 work.
鈥淚 want to thank Michael Fallon and Greg Barker for their immense contributions to turning around the legacy of energy underinvestment we inherited. I was particularly grateful to Greg for his support on my battles on climate and to Michael, for his backing for my pro-competition approach to the Big Six.鈥�
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