Political Updates 6th November 2017

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

  Government Departments

Reshuffle appointments:

• Michael Fallon resigned from his position as Secretary of State for Defence on 2nd November. He has been replaced by Gavin Williamson (previously Chief Whip).
• Julian Smith has been appointed Chief Whip (previously Deputy Chief Whip).
• Esther McVey has been appointed Deputy Chief Whip.

HM Treasury

Elisabeth Stheeman has been appointed as an external member of the Financial Policy Committee.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Crispin Simon has taken on the role of British Deputy High Commissioner Western India and Director-General for Trade, Economics and Commercial Diplomacy.

Department for Work and Pensions

Mark Foy has taken on the role of Chief Nuclear Inspector at the Office for Nuclear Regulation.

House of Commons

The following Committee members have been appointed:

Administration Committee
David Amess
Sir Paul Beresford
Sarah Champion
John Cryer
Michael Fabricant
Colleen Fletcher
Pauline Latham
Jessica Morden
Mary Robinson
Mark Tami

European Scrutiny Committee
William Cash
Douglas Chapman
Steve Double
Richard Drax
Marcus Fysh
Kate Green
Kate Hoey
Kelvin Hopkins
Darren Jones
David Jones
Stephen Kinnock
Andrew Lewer
Michael Tomlinson
David Warburton
Philippa Whitford

Finance Committee
Clive Betts
Chris Bryant
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown
Neil Gray
Lindsay Hoyle
Helen Jones
Stephen McPartland
Mark Menzies
Robert Syms
Mark Tami
William Wragg

Joint Committee on Human Rights
Fiona Bruce
Karen Buck
Harriet Harman
Jeremy Lefroy
Mark Pritchard

Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy
Margaret Beckett
Yvette Cooper
James Gray
Dominic Grieve
Dan Jarvis
Julian Lewis
Angus Brendan MacNeil
Robert Neill
Rachel Reeves
Tom Tugendhat
Stephen Twigg
Theresa Villiers

Procedure Committee
Nick Smith

Speaker’s Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
Kirsty Blackman
Chris Bryant
Cheryl Gillan
Valerie Vaz
Charles Walker

House of Lords

Lord Plumb (Conservative, life peer) retired on 3rd November.

Welsh Government

Carl Sargeant has resigned from his position as Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government.

Reshuffle appointments:

• Lord Elis-Thomas – Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and Sport
• Ken Skates (previously Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure) – Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport
• Vaughan Gething (previously Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport) – Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services
• Huw Irranca-Davies – Minister for Children and Social Care
• Mark Drakeford (previously Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government) – Cabinet Secretary for Finance
• Alun Davies – Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services
• Rebecca Evans – Minister for Housing and Regeneration (previously Minister for Social Services and Public Health)
• Lesley Griffiths (previously Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs) – Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs
• Hannah Blythyn – Minister for Environment
• Eluned Morgan – Minister for Welsh Language and Lifelong Learning
• Julie James – Leader of the House and Chief Whip
• Jeremy Miles – Counsel General Designate
• Clare Pillman – new Chief Executive at Natural Resources Wales (from February 2018)

Welsh Liberal Democrats

Jane Dodds has been elected Leader.

European Parliament

This week, the European Parliament will be holding Committee meetings in Brussels.