Education Secretary Gavin Williamson was, unsurprisingly, the first to confirm the departure, saying it was “a great honor to be Education Secretary since 2019”.
“Despite the challenges of the global pandemic, I am particularly proud of the transformative reforms I have undertaken,” he wrote on the social network Twitter.
It was widely criticized for the way it managed the cancellation of secondary education exams and school closures during the covid-19 pandemic, and it was one of those that was most persistent in question.
The opposition Labor Party’s “shadow minister” Kate Green said Williamson left a legacy of “two years of exam chaos, deserted, unsupported and frustrated officials.”
Attorney General Robert Buckland and Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick were also sacked.
Dominic Raab, who has come under pressure since he was known to have continued his leave in Greece during the height of the British withdrawal crisis from Afghanistan, lost the Foreign Office portfolio to justice.
Johnson appointed him to replace him as head of government while he was hospitalized last April, and Raab now holds the official title of Deputy Prime Minister.
He is being replaced by the current international trade secretary, Liz Truss, who has been prominent in negotiations on post-Brexit agreements, so analysts view the transfer as an upgrade.
Considered one of the most effective executive bodies, the Cabinet Secretary of State, Michael Gove, is now in charge of the housing dossier.
Gove is one of the government’s most experienced ministers and has in the past led the education, environment and justice portfolios, so he will unite with tasks to bring about “settlement of the country”, one of Johnson’s promises, and to preserve relations with the counties of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The outcasts appear to be Home Secretary Priti Patel and Finance Minister Rishi Sunak, two well-known figures in the right wing of the Conservative Party.
Despite being accused and convicted of intimidating public officials and criticizing them for failing to control the crossing of illegal immigrants in the Channel, Patel has remained in the positions she has held since 2019.
Sunak, whose popularity has soared during the pandemic due to measures to support the economy and workers, to become a potential successor to Johnson, remains in charge of budget and fiscal policy.
After weeks of speculation about a government reshuffle, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson today began renewing his ministers and executive members.
The last cabinet reshuffle was made in February last year, after the UK formally left the European Union, but until then Boris Johnson has kept most ministers in office since 2019 in place.
A government source told the BBC that the cabinet reshuffle aims to create a “strong and united team” focused on recovering from the pandemic and “unifying and leveling the whole country”.
The reconfiguration of the team began this afternoon, following the Prime Minister’s weekly debate in the House of Commons with MPs, and is expected to continue in the coming days.
Last week, the Conservative Party leader denied that moving into the executive branch was a priority, after responding to reporters that “the country’s population is focused on a recovery.” [pandemia] from covid-19.
In the British press, many commentators have suggested that the hesitation is mainly due to a question of Johnson’s character.
“One of the prime minister’s worst flaws is the need for recognition, and Boris Johnson has that plus. He was shocked when confronted by someone who thinks he is nothing more than a nice bunch of fun. He hates improvements. That means he has to,” Ian Dale explained in the Daily Telegraph. He makes enemies.
