Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reshuffled his cabinet on Tuesday 7 February, breaking up three departments in an attempt to freshen up his cabinet.
Greg Hands, a former trade minister for the Conservatives, was appointed party chair after Nadhim Zahawi was removed from his position as chair.
Sunak created a new energy security and net zero department after splitting the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The new department will be led by former business minister Grant Shapps. Downing Street explained that much of the rationale behind Tuesday’s reshuffle lay in creating the new energy department – a version of the Department for Energy and Climate change, which was removed in 2016. A government spokesperson said the changes would help the government plan its energy security policies better and, in turn, bring down inflation. Shapps repeated this message on Tuesday when he commented, “My focus will be securing our long-term energy supply, bringing down bills and thereby helping to halve inflation”.
The Prime Minister has also split the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) department. Michelle Donelan has a new role as science and technology secretary, while Lucy Frazer replaces her as culture secretary.
Finally. the Department for International Trade was broken up. Kemi Badenoch becomes secretary of state for business and trade as the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Department for International Trade merge as the Department for Business and Trade. Downing Street said on Tuesday it made sense for the cabinet minister negotiating trade deals to also represent British business interests. “When you’re planning trade deals to benefit UK business, it makes sense to link them together under one secretary of state,” a spokesperson said.
“The government needs to reflect the priorities of the British people and be designed to deliver for them, these changes will focus teams on the issues that will build a better future for our children and grandchildren.” Sunak commented on the cabinet changes.
He hailed the standalone energy and net zero ministry as one that would help Britain gain greater energy security and start producing cheaper, cleaner energy to avoid the kind of price hikes people had to pay after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.