LONDON – Prime Minister Theresa May has appointed Damian Green, a close ally, as the First Secretary of State and Minister for the Cabinet Office in the first major appointment of her post-election cabinet reshuffle.
Green was previously the Secretary of State for the Department of Work and Pensions, and has known May since the pair attended Oxford University together.
Following the Conservative Party’s failure to win a majority during Thursday’s general election, May needs to replace several former ministers who lost their seats, including former Cabinet Office Minister Ben Gummer, who was key in drafting the party’s election manifesto.
May is believed to have planned sweeping changes to her cabinet had she increased her majority, but given her weakened position following the election, she has been forced to keep changes to a minimum. On Friday, it was confirmed that all five of the most senior cabinet ministers would remain in their jobs.
Philip Hammond – who has a frosty relationship with the prime minister’s team – remains as Chancellor, Downing Street confirmed on Friday evening, while Boris Johnson (Foreign Secretary), David Davis (Brexit Secretary), Amber Rudd (Home Secretary) and Michael Fallon (Defence Secretary) have also kept their roles.
In other reshuffle news, Greg Clark remains Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, while David Gauke – former Chief Secretary to the Treasury – has replaced Green at the Department for Work and Pensions.
Other senior figures in the Conservative Party expected to get new jobs include Justine Greening, Liz Truss and David Liddington.
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