Explained: Who are the new faces appointed to Boris Johnson’s Cabinet?

Mr Johnson made a number of new appointments to his Cabinet on Thursday despite his resignation as party leader
BRITAIN-POLITICS-CONSERVATIVES-JOHNSON
AFP via Getty Images

Boris Johnson may be leaving office, but the prime minister has still reshuffled his inner circle for his final period in power after a host of ministerial departures.

Announcing on Thursday he would be stepping down, Mr Johnson is expected to remain as an interim premier until a new leader of the Conservative Party is selected.

It is thought the new face in Number 10 will be chosen by the Tory conference in October although some MPs are opposed to him remaining in post for that long.

There have been a number of Cabinet resignations in recent days, while others, including Home Secretary, Priti Patel, Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, and Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, have remained in their posts.

Here we take a look at who was newly appointed to Mr Johnson’s Cabinet during the reshuffle.

Sir Robert Buckland

Boris Johnson resignation
Robert Buckland, the newly-appointed Welsh Secretary
PA

Sir Robert Buckland was made Secretary of State for Wales, following the departure of Simon Hart - accepting the role only hours after saying Mr Johnson “can no longer go on”.

“Any reasonable observer would say he no longer has any authority," the former Lord Chancellor told LBC Radio on Thursday morning.

After his appointment, he told Sky News he only took the job because Mr Johnson quit and he wanted to "serve our country,” adding: “If he had asked me yesterday, I would have said no," he said.

Mr Johnson had sacked Sir Robert as Justice Secretary in a reshuffle in June 2021. He had served in the Government for seven years.

Kit Malthouse

Boris Johnson resignation
Kit Malthouse who has been appointed as Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster
PA

Former policing minister Kit Malthouse was appointed as the new Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, the most senior minister in the Cabinet Office after the Prime Minister.

Mr Malthouse succeeds Steve Barclay, who was appointed Health Secretary on Tuesday, in the role and has also previously served as Housing minister.

He is seen as one of Mr Johnson’s long-standing allies, but has said the Prime Minister has made the “right decision” in choosing to stand down.

James Cleverly

James Cleverly
James Cleverly, named as new education secretary
AP

James Cleverly is the third person to hold the role of Education Secretary in 48 hours. Nadhim Zahawi, the new Chancellor, held the role until Tuesday afternoon, and was replaced by Michelle Donelan, who quit Thursday morning.

Mr Cleverly, an MP for Baintree in Essex, was previously a minister in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

He stood behind the Prime Minister after June’s confidence vote, saying it had been a “clear win" for Mr Johnson.

Greg Clark

Greg Clark, named new leveling up minister
AP

Greg Clark was appointed to the Levelling Up brief after Mr Johnson sacked Michael Gove on Wednesday evening - despite voting to oust Mr Johnson in the no-confidence vote last month.

The MP for Tunbridge Wells, who previously served in Cabinet under May and Cameron, was one of the Tory rebels Mr Johnson kicked out of the party in retaliation for rebelling over Brexit in 2019.

Shortly after his appointment on Thursday, Mr Clark tweeted: “We have a duty to ensure that the country has a functioning government in the weeks ahead”.

Shailesh Vara

British government crisis
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Shailesh Vara
REUTERS

Shailesh Vara was appointed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, after his predecessor Brandon Lewis resigned earlier on Thursday.

Before his appointment, he tweeted that it was "the right decision" by Mr Johnson to resign.

The North West Cambridgeshire MP has previously served as a minister for Northern Ireland, a minister for Justice, a minister in the Department for Work and Pensions and as a Government whip.

Andrew Stephenson

BRITAIN-POLITICS-CONSERVATIVES-JOHNSON
Minister without Portfolio Andrew Stephenson
AFP via Getty Images

Andrew Stephenson, MP for Pendle, was appointed Minister without Portfolio and will also attend Cabinet.

He tweeted on Thursday: "Now that Boris Johnson has decided to resign we must ensure a smooth transition so we may continue to do so".

He was previously a minister of state at the Department for Transport. Before that he was a minister in the Foreign Office.

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