{"id":121087,"date":"2023-11-13T23:29:26","date_gmt":"2023-11-13T23:29:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yourclomid.com\/?p=121087"},"modified":"2023-11-13T23:29:26","modified_gmt":"2023-11-13T23:29:26","slug":"steve-barclay-loses-out-as-therese-coffey-quites-in-cabinet-reshuffle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yourclomid.com\/politics\/steve-barclay-loses-out-as-therese-coffey-quites-in-cabinet-reshuffle\/","title":{"rendered":"Steve Barclay loses out as Therese Coffey quites in cabinet reshuffle"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Mr Barclay now becomes the 10th Environment Secretary since 2010 as he takes over from Therese Coffey \u2013 in what will be seen as a demotion.<\/p>\n

Ms Coffey is leaving the Cabinet for now after resigning from the post.<\/p>\n

Victoria Atkins has taken over the key Health brief, as Mr Sunak apparently tries to promote good TV performers ahead of the election.<\/p>\n

She has previously served in five ministerial roles, most recently as Financial Secretary to the Treasury under Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.<\/p>\n

Ms Coffey said: \u201cIn my years of service and different ministerial posts, I am proud to have delivered for people, the planet and prosperity throughout that time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Esther McVey made a stunning return to Government as Mr Sunak\u2019s \u201ccommon sense tsar\u201d in her new role as Cabinet Office minister. The Daily Express columnist, a part-time TV \u00adpresenter for GB News, was \u00adpreviously work and pensions \u00adsecretary under Theresa May.<\/p>\n

The new position will see the MP attend Cabinet as a minister without portfolio.<\/p>\n

The overall reshuffle meant that, for the first time since the Tories won the 2010 election, there are no women occupying any of the four great offices of state.<\/p>\n

Downing Street said it was not focused on \u201ctick-box diversity\u201d as it defended having four privately educated men now holding the four most senior positions in the Cabinet.<\/p>\n

The Prime Minister\u2019s press secretary said: \u201cThe Deputy Prime Minister [Oliver Dowden] went to a state school. This is about having a strong and united team that\u2019s focused on delivering for the public and bringing in some of that experience, with David Cameron on the foreign policy brief to deliver the best for the country.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re focused on rather than tick-box diversity.\u201d<\/p>\n

She insisted that other women were getting good jobs in Government, \u00adsaying: \u201cYou will see a lot of women rising up the ranks today.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I will also say is Conservatives don\u2019t do tick-box diversity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, Sunak loyalist Richard Holden took over from Greg Hands as Conservative Party chair, while Laura Trott \u2013 Mr Cameron\u2019s former speechwriter \u2013 became Chief Secretary to the Treasury.<\/p>\n

Mr Hands has paid the price for a slew of disastrous by-elections, sliding down the ranks to Business and Trade Minister.<\/p>\n

Mr Holden has risen from a data entry officer junior role at Tory \u00adheadquarters in 2007. He also worked as a special adviser to former defence secretary Michael Fallon and was involved with Boris Johnson\u2019s leadership campaign in 2019.<\/p>\n

Health Minister Neil O\u2019Brien, a chief architect of the new smoking ban, quit his role.<\/p>\n

Another Health Minister, Will Quince, quit ahead of standing down at the next election, while Jesse Norman also quit as Transport Minister.<\/p>\n

Paymaster General Jeremy Quin and veteran Schools Minister Nick Gibb also stood down from the Government. Amid a rental and \u00admortgage crisis, Rachel Maclean was fired as Housing Minister, leaving the role open for the 16th time since the Tories took power.<\/p>\n