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With the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner last week, there has been a major reshuffle within the government bringing many new ministers into the blue light world, although Wes Streeting remains as Health Secretary.
Angela Rayner was Secretary of State for Housing and led the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. She has been replaced by Steve Reed, formerly in charge of DEFRA. The MHCLG brief includes responsibility for fire safety and until the reshuffle, Alex Norris was the minister in charge. Fire only recently returned to MHCLG and the department is dealing with the considerable work coming out of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and the recent move to dismantle the tower.
Now that Rayner has gone to the back benches, Alex Norris has also been moved and is now in the Home Office covering border security and asylum. His old job in MHCLG is now the responsibility of Alison McGovern who is one of two Ministers of State in the department. Unless fire policy goes under a more junior minister in this reshuffle, fire will end up with McGovern.
There’s change in policing too as Yvette Cooper moves across to the Foreign Office and makes room for former Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood to become Home Secretary. Cooper held the Home Office shadow brief for years before entering the government in July last year to become Home Secretary.
Dame Diana Johnson was the Minister in charge of policing and crime and she’s gone to the Department for Work and Pensions. This leaves police now under Sarah Jones – who just last week was seen speaking at the Cenex Expo event about sustainable transport.
Dame Diana joins Pat McFadden who is now in charge of work and pensions and leaves the Cabinet Office where he held the resilience brief. This is interesting timing given all the press around the emergency alert that took place on Sunday. One of his team, Abena Oppong-Asare has left the government altogether – her article on the emergency alert graced the home page of Emergency Services Times just a few days ago.
Completing the picture for the emergency services, Darren Jones takes over at the Cabinet Office in the grandly titled role of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. That means he’s now in charge of resilience and the upcoming national pandemic exercise.
Wes Streeting remains in post as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, so no change for the ambulance service this time.
For the full list of the government read the press release, Ministerial Appointments.
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