Cabinet reshuffle: Michael Gove loses Education post

Michael Gove leaves Downing St after losing job as Eductation Secretary

(Image credit: Ben Stansall/AFP)

last updated 15 July 2014

Michael Gove has lost his job as Education Secretary as David Cameron's largest cabinet reshuffle to date gathers pace. At least 12 ministers are expected to leave their positions.

Senior Tories including William Hague and Ken Clarke have resigned in a "cull of the pale, male and stale", according to the BBC's political correspondent Chris Mason.

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Michael Gove has been removed from his post as Education Secretary and will be Commons Chief Whip. Commentators say he is unlikely to have gone willingly, but "No 10 is briefing that the move is possible because the programme of education reform has been set in place, The Times reports. According to a tweet from David Cameron, he will also have "an enhanced role in campaigning and doing broadcast media interviews". He will be replaced as Education Secretary by Nicky Morgan, who also keeps her role as minister for women and equalities.
William Hague has resigned as Foreign Secretary, but will remain as leader of the Commons and David Cameron's "de facto political deputy" in the run up to the next general election. Philip Hammond, currently Defence Secretary, will take Hague's place as foreign secretary.
Michael Fallon has been announced as Hammond's replacement as Defence Secretary. He will be replaced at the departments of business and energy by Matt Hancock, who will also be minister for Portsmouth.
Senior Tory MP Ken Clarke has stepped down from cabinet, which he attended as minister without portfolio. Clarke held several top positions in the Thatcher and Major governments, including Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Owen Paterson, until now the Environment Secretary, will be replaced by education minister Liz Truss. Paterson will leave the Cabinet.
Greg Clark has been appointed Universities, Cities and Science Minister, which will now be a Cabinet post. He was previously involved in the Royal Mail sell-off as a minister at the Business Department.
Dominic Grieve has been replaced as Attorney General by Jeremy Wright, who was a junior justice minister.
Lord Hill of Oareford, currently Conservative leader in the House of Lords, has been nominated as Britain's new EU commissioner. Jonathan Hill is a former aide to Ken Clarke, but he is regarded as a "dry" on Europe, and will reassure the eurosceptics.
Baronness Stowell has been appointed Conservative leader in the Lords and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
David Jones has been replaced as Welsh Secretary by Stephen Crabb.
Oliver Letwin is made Lord Privy Seal and retains his job as minister for government policy
Liam Fox, the former Defence Secretary who had been tipped for a return to government has said he turned down a ministerial job at the MoD

Amber Rudd becomes a minister at the Department for Energy and Climate Change
Andrew Murrison joins the Northern Ireland office as under-secretary of state
Nick Gibb returns to the Department for Education as minister for state.
Anna Soubry is promoted from junior minister to minister at the MoD
Robert Buckland is appointed solicitor-general
George Freeman is the new minister for life sciences
Desmond Swayne becomes a minister at the Department for International Development
Penny Mordaunt joins the Department of Energy and Climate Change as a junior minister
Priti Patel becomes exchequer secretary at the Treasury
Claire Perry gets a junion role at the Department for Transport

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