Political Updates 17th February 2020

This week’s Political Updates, covers moves and changes at all levels of government.

UK Government

Through the cabinet reshuffle which took place on the 13^th February 2020, the following changes/appointments have been made:

• Sajid Javid has resigned as Chancellor of the Exchequer
• Rishi Sunak has been appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer
• Alok Sharma has been appointed as the Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
• George Eustice has been appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
• Stephen Barclay has been appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury, he will attend Cabinet.
• Amanda Milling has been appointed Minister without Portfolio and Conservative Party Chairwoman
• Anne-Marie Trevelyan has been appointed Secretary of State for International Development.
• Brandon Lewis has been appointed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
• Andrea Leadsom has confirmed that she is no longer Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
• Oliver Dowden has been appointed as the Secretary of State for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
• Esther McVey has confirmed that she is no longer Minister of State for Housing.
• Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Julian Smith has confirmed that he has left the Cabinet.
• Chris Skidmore has confirmed that he is no longer Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation.
• Nusrat Ghani has confirmed that she is no longer Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport.
• Suella Braverman has been appointed Attorney General.
• Geoffrey Cox has confirmed that he is no longer Attorney General.
• Theresa Villiers has confirmed that she is no longer Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
• George Freeman has confirmed that he is no longer Minister of State at the Department for Transport.
• James Brokenshire has been appointed as a Minister of State in the Home Office.
• Jeremy Quin has been appointed as a Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence.
• Helen Whately has been appointed as a Minister of State in the Department of Health and Social Care.
• Chloe Smith has been appointed as a Minister of State in the Cabinet Office.
• Robin Walker has been appointed as a Minister of State in the Northern Ireland Office.
• Nigel Adams has been appointed Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development.
• Baroness Sugg has been appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, she will continue to hold her current role at the Department for International Development
• Penny Mordaunt has been appointed as Paymaster General.
• James Cleverly has been appointed as a joint Minister of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development.
• Simon Clarke has been appointed as a Minister of State in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
• Greg Hands has been appointed as a Minister of State in the Department for International Trade.
• Michelle Donelan has been appointed as a Minister of State in the Department of Education.
• Caroline Dinenage has been appointed as a Minister of State in the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
• Andrew Stephenson has been appointed as a Minister of State in the Department for Transport.
• Chris Pincher has been appointed as a Minister of State in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
• Kemi Badenoch has been appointed as Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury.
• Chris Philp has been appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Home Office.
• Paul Scully has been appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and Minister for London.
• James Duddridge has been appointed as a joint Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development.
• Wendy Morton has been appointed as a joint Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development.
• Kelly Tolhurst has been appointed as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Transport.
• Stuart Andrew has been appointed as Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip).
• Marcus Jones has been appointed as a Vice Chamberlain of HM Household (Government Whip).
• Lord True has been appointed as a Minister of State in the Cabinet Office.
• Rachel Maclean has been appointed as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Transport.
• Baroness Berridge has been appointed as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Education and a Baroness in Waiting.
• Nigel Huddleston has been appointed as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and an Assistant Government Whip.
• Lord Agnew of Oulton has been appointed as a joint Minister of State in the Cabinet Office and in Her Majesty’s Treasury
• Amanda Solloway has been appointed as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
• Victoria Prentis has been appointed as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
• Lord Callanan has been appointed as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
• Gillian Keegan has been appointed as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Education.

Harriet Cross appointed as British High Commissioner to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Paul Fox appointed as Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Hungary, commencing in September.

Simon Martin appointed as Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco.

Louise Harrison to become Assistant Chief Constable of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary on 17th February.

Sheldon Mills to become Interim Executive Director of Strategy and Competition for the Financial Conduct Authority on 16th March.

Melanie Dawes to stand down as Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) Permanent Secretary in March.

Harry Swales appointed as Executive Director of Markets, Partners and Places for Homes England.

Melanie Dawes to become Chief Executive of Ofcom in March.

   House of Commons

Geraint Davies, Flick Drummond, Mark Garnier, Andrew Jones, Stephen Kinnock, Charlotte Nichols, Amanda Solloway, Owen Thompson and Craig Williams appointed as members of the European Statutory Instruments Committee.

  House of Lords 

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich was Crossbench and now is Non-affiliated.

Lord Elystan-Morgan (Crossbench, life peer) retired from the House of Lords on the 12^th February.

Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd appointed as a member of the Joint Committee on Consolidation & Bills

Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top appointed as Chair of the Public Services Committee, Lord Bichard, Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth, Lord Davies of Gower, Lord Filkin, Lord Hogan-Howe, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, Baroness Pinnock, Baroness Pitkeathley, Baroness Tyler of Enfield, Baroness Wyld and Lord Young of Cookham appointed as members.

National Assembly for Wales

Nick Ramsay has been re-instated as a Conservative AM.

Rhun ap Iorwerth replaces Sian Gwenllian as a member of the Assembly Commission.

Ken Skates appointed as Minister for North Wales, remaining as Minister for Economy and Transport.

Gary Middleton replaces George Robinson as a member Business Committee.