Good morning. Yesterday Boris Johnson carried out a cabinet reshuffle that turned out to be bolder, more far-reaching, more interesting, and probably more strategic, than most people were expecting. It was also remarkably smooth by reshuffle standards. Only Dominic Raab seemed to offer much resistance to what was proposed, and as far as we know at this point Johnson was able to make all his cabinet appointments according to plan.
Here is our overnight story.
And there is more to come, because today Johnson is reshuffling more junior ministers. Downing Street has just sent out the first announcement.
- Penny Mordaunt, who was defence secretary when Theresa May was PM and who until yesterday was paymaster general in the Cabinet Office, becomes a minister of state at the Department for International Trade.
- Michael Ellis replaces her as paymaster general. Until recently he was attorney general, covering for Suella Braverman while she took maternity leave.
Mordaunt used Twitter earlier this morning to announce she was moving.
Penny Mordaunt
(@PennyMordaunt)Thank you to @cabinetoffice colleagues and partners for the last 20 months and all we achieved. Especially proud of the overhaul of the risk register, 1HMG cyber and the new resilience strategy. We are on track to be the most resilient nation. 🇬🇧https://t.co/XvG5cSdPc7
Penny Mordaunt
(@PennyMordaunt)Pleased to have helped so many parliamentary colleagues, especially the 2019ers, through their pandemic casework and to have served on the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee and partnership council to get Brexit done. pic.twitter.com/uBKv25zu1V
Penny Mordaunt
(@PennyMordaunt)Privilege to have made progress for those affected by the infected blood scandal, inc. getting compensation work underway. TY to all those who gave me their time and testimony, and Sir Brian, Sir Robert, @DianaJohnsonMP and the APPG. No longer your Minister, still on your team. pic.twitter.com/4BnzoQqbag
Penny Mordaunt
(@PennyMordaunt)Good luck to my successor and…look after the cats! pic.twitter.com/3aYMq0GCB5
Here is the agenda for the day.
9.30am: Nadine Dorries, the new culture secretary, takes questions in the Commons.
9.30am: The ONS publishes its latest Covid antibodies survey, plus new figures about the symptoms of people with coronavirus.
10.20am: Will Quince and Mims Davies, who are both welfare ministers, give evidence to the Commons work and pensions committee about the universal credit cut.
11.30am: Downing Street holds its daily lobby briefing.
12pm: Sajid Javid, the health secretary, gives a speech in Blackpool on his vision for levelling up in health.
12pm: Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, takes questions in the Scottish parliament.
For further Covid coverage, do read our global live blog.
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