BORIS Johnson has sacked three senior cabinet ministers so far as the reshuffle gets under way.
The Prime Minister started his shake up of his cabinet office team on Wednesday morning, stating that the plans will put in place a “strong and united” team.
Gavin Williamson, Education Secretary, Robert Buckland, Justice Secretary, and Robert Jenrick, Housing Secretary, have all been sacked this afternoon.
Williamson was one of the ministers deemed most at risk of being told to return to the backbenches particularly due to his handling of the exams fiasco during the Covid-19 crisis.
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First to go, he confirmed his exit by saying “it has been a privilege to serve as education secretary since 2019”, adding that he will continue to support the Prime Minister and the Government.
His message was suggestive that he was not being offered another role as a frontbencher, but there has been no confirmation of whether he would be moved to another role.
Next came Buckland, who said it had been an “honour” to serve in the Government for the last seven years, including the last two as Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor.
“I am deeply proud of everything I have achieved. On to the next adventure,” he said.
It has been a privilege to serve as Education Secretary since 2019. Despite the challenges of the global pandemic, I’m particularly proud of the transformational reforms I’ve led in Post 16 education: in further education colleges, our Skills agenda, apprenticeships and more.
— Gavin Williamson (@GavinWilliamson) September 15, 2021
The courts system has been under huge strain during the pandemic, but a specific reason for his departure was unclear.
There has been speculation that he could be moved to make way for Dominic Raab, a qualified lawyer, to be demoted.
The Foreign Secretary is widely tipped to be sacked from what is one of the four great offices of state because of his handling of the Afghanistan crisis, including the thousands of former Afghan staff feared to have been left behind after the Taliban takeover.
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Robert Jenrick was the third head to roll on Wednesday, announcing just after 2.30pm that he had been sacked by the PM.
He tweeted: “It’s been a huge privilege to serve as Secretary of State @mhclg. Thank you to everyone at the department for their hard work, dedication and friendship. I’m deeply proud of all we achieved.
“I will continue to support the Prime Minister and the Government in every way I can.”
A No 10 spokesperson said: “Robert Buckland has made a huge contribution to government as Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor, including making our streets safer through significant reforms to sentencing and tackling reoffending. The Prime Minister is grateful for his hard work and dedication.
“Robert Jenrick has led crucial work over the last two years, most importantly driving reforms to build more houses so home ownership becomes a reality for many more people. The Prime Minister is grateful for his drive and commitment.
“Gavin Williamson has played a key role in transforming the skills agenda as we create a high wage and high-skilled economy, providing a lifetime skills guarantee for millions across the country. The Prime Minister is grateful for his loyalty and service.”
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