London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Boris Johnson criticised for 'he-shuffle' and rewarding 'dull men' with new jobs

Boris Johnson criticised for 'he-shuffle' and rewarding 'dull men' with new jobs

The prime minister has been criticised for a cabinet reshuffle which has seen him almost exclusively give new roles to men.

Dubbed a ‘he shuffle’ for the lack of women given new jobs, today’s announcements saw Boris Johnson reward ministers who have openly supported him during a turbulent past few weeks.

The reshuffle saw no ministers leaving Government, with the PM concentrating on moving his allies around into new jobs.

Jacob Rees-Mogg has been sacked as commons leader and moved to the new role of minister for Brexit opportunities and government efficiency.

Mark Spencer has become the new commons leader with his former chief whip job going to MP Chris Heaton-Harris.

Mr Heaton-Harris’ deputy will be MP Chris Pincher who previously held the same position under Theresa May. Michael Ellis MP has become Minister for the Cabinet Office, in addition to his current role as Paymaster General.

Meanwhile James Cleverly has been moved within the Foreign Office to become Europe Minister and former deputy chief whip Stuart Andrew was moved to Michael Gove’s levelling up department.

The only women reshuffled are Heather Wheeler and Wendy Morton. Ms Wheeler has become parliamentary secretary in the Cabinet Office while Ms Morton has relocated from parliamentary under-secretary to minister of state in the Department for Transport.

Jacob Rees-Mogg has a new job as Brexit opportunities minister


Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner tweeted: ‘Whopping more than £35k pay rise for Jacob Rees-Mogg who was up to his neck in the Owen Patterson scandal.

‘Similar rise for Michael Ellis who is clearly being rewarded for answering tricky questions on behalf of others. Who said dull men don’t fail upwards?’

Ms Rayner also criticised the reshuffle as a distraction from ‘vital topics affecting families across the country’ such as the ‘Conservatives’ cost of living crisis.

She said: ‘Today, the Labour Party frontbench was in Parliament proposing measures to tackle food poverty caused by an inflation crisis created in Downing Street and supporting the mental health of our children and young people – vital topics affecting families across the country.

Angela Rayner hasn’t held back in her criticism of today’s reshuffle


‘What was Boris Johnson doing? Reshuffling the deckchairs when he’s already hit an iceberg.

‘Labour is committed to security, prosperity and respect for everyone. Boris Johnson is desperately trying to save his own skin.’

Downing Street said the reshuffle would improve the ‘vital connection between No 10 and parliament’.

‘As the PM said last week, it is important that we both make immediate changes to improve both how the No 10 operation works and the work of the Cabinet Office, and further changes to strengthen Cabinet government and improve that vital connection between No 10 and Parliament,’ the prime minister’s official spokesperson said.

‘The changes being made today will strengthen that connection. We have changes to the whips’ office, improving engagement with MPs and helping to drive the Government’s ambitious agenda.

Chris Heaton-Harris is one of the men to get a new job in the reshuffle dubbed a ‘he shuffle’


‘We have a new Brexit opportunities minister, a role that’s been created to drive forward the changes we are able to make now that we have left the EU, delivering on our post-Brexit agenda across Whitehall.’

The changes come after a week of chaos in Westminster which saw five members of Mr Johnson’s top team resign within 24 hours on Friday.

Three of the departed senior aides were caught up in the partygate scandal, including senior civil servant Martin Reynolds, who sent out an invitation to the ‘bring your own booze’ event in May 2020.

While policy chief Munira Mirza quit over the PM’s false claim that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile when he was director of public prosecutions, and his refusal to apologise.

The re-shuffle also comes as a poll carried out by Redfield and Wilton Strategies, on Monday showed Labour opening up a 10-point lead ahead of the Conservatives.

The results, reported by MailOnline, put Labour 42%, up 2% with the Tories down 1% on 23%.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×