Sam Gyiah will replace Jo Johnson as the new Universities Minister following the recent UK cabinet reshuffle
Sam Gyimah, the former prisons minister, took on the role as the new Universities and Science Minister to replace Jo Johnson who has been appointed as the Transport Minister and Minister for London.
On Twitter, Mr Gyimah writes: “Off to my new role as Universities & Science Minister and looking forward to the challenges ahead – thank you for your excellent work @JoJohnsonUK. A massive thank you to all prisons & probation staff, particularly prison officers, for your incredible dedication & hard work.”
The role straddles both the Department for Education as well as the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
The 41-year-old will work alongside the newly appointed Education Secretary, Damian Hinds, who is replacing Justine Greening, after Greening refused to move departments and resigned.
On Tuesday Theresa May’s cabinet met for the first time after the reshuffle, which has received both praise and criticism.
New Conservative Party chairman Brandon Lewis says the reshuffle would be like a: “breath of fresh air” by the time it was finished. But it was being called “embarrassing” and “shambolic” by some Tory MPs, the BBC’s political editor Laura Kuenssberg says.
The following ministerial moves have also been made:
- Mark Garnier lost his job as Trade Minister;
- John Hayes (transport), Philip Dunne (health) and Robert Goodwill (education) also left their posts;
- Alok Sharma moved from housing to employment;
- Dominic Raab replaced Mr Sharma as Housing Minister;
- Rory Stewart replaced Mr Raab as Justice Minister;
- Margot James, Harriet Baldwin and Caroline Dinenage both become ministers of state at Culture, the Foreign Office and Health respectively;
- Esther McVey was promoted to Work and Pensions Secretary;
- Justice Secretary David Lidington was moved to the Cabinet Office and will deputise for Mrs May at Prime Minister’s Questions;
- David Gauke replaced Mr Lidington as Justice Secretary;
- Matt Hancock is culture secretary and Karen Bradley is the new Northern Ireland Secretary.
