London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Feb 01, 2026

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
New Epstein Files Include Images of Former Prince Andrew Kneeling Over Unidentified Woman
Starmer Urges Former Prince Andrew to Testify Before US Congress About Epstein Ties
Starmer Extends Invitation to Japan’s Prime Minister After Strategic Tokyo Talks
Skupski and Harrison Clinch Australian Open Men’s Doubles Title in Melbourne
DOJ Unveils Millions of Epstein Files, Fueling Global Scrutiny of Elite Networks
France Begins Phasing Out Zoom and Microsoft Teams to Advance Digital Sovereignty
China Lifts Sanctions on British MPs and Peers After Starmer Xi Talks in Beijing
Trump Nominates Kevin Warsh as Fed Chair to Reorient U.S. Monetary Policy Toward Pro-Growth Interest Rates
AstraZeneca Announces £11bn China Investment After Scaling Back UK Expansion Plans
Starmer and Xi Forge Warming UK-China Ties in Beijing Amid Strategic Reset
Tech Market Shifts and AI Investment Surge Drive Global Innovation and Layoffs
Markets Jolt as AI Spending, US Policy Shifts, and Global Security Moves Drive New Volatility
U.S. Signals Potential Decertification of Canadian Aircraft as Bilateral Tensions Escalate
Former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee Sentenced to 20 Months for Bribery
Tesla Ends Model S and X Production and Sends $2 Billion to xAI as 2025 Revenue Declines
China Executes 11 Members of the Ming Clan in Cross-Border Scam Case Linked to Myanmar’s Lawkai
Trump Administration Officials Held Talks With Group Advocating Alberta’s Independence
Starmer Signals UK Push for a More ‘Sophisticated’ Relationship With China in Talks With Xi
Shopping Chatbots Move From Advice to Checkout as Walmart Pushes Faster Than Amazon
Starmer Seeks Economic Gains From China Visit While Navigating US Diplomatic Sensitivities
Starmer Says China Visit Will Deliver Economic Benefits as He Prepares to Meet Xi Jinping
UK Prime Minister Starmer Arrives in China to Bolster Trade and Warn Firms of Strategic Opportunities
The AI Hiring Doom Loop — Algorithmic Recruiting Filters Out Top Talent and Rewards Average or Fake Candidates
Amazon to Cut 16,000 Corporate Jobs After Earlier 14,000 Reduction, Citing Streamlining and AI Investment
Federal Reserve Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Powell Faces DOJ Criminal Investigation During 2026 Decision
Putin’s Four-Year Ukraine Invasion Cost: Russia’s Mass Casualty Attrition and the Donbas Security-Guarantee Tradeoff
Wall Street Bets on Strong US Growth and Currency Moves as Dollar Slips After Trump Comments
UK Prime Minister Traveled to China Using Temporary Phones and Laptops to Limit Espionage Risks
Google’s $68 Million Voice Assistant Settlement Exposes Incentives That Reward Over-Collection
Kim Kardashian Admits Faking Paparazzi Visit to Britney Spears for Fame in Early 2000s
UPS to Cut 30,000 More Jobs by 2026 Amid Shift to High-Margin Deliveries
France Plans to Replace Teams and Zoom Across Government With Homegrown Visio by 2027
Trump Removes Minneapolis Deportation Operation Commander After Fatal Shooting of Protester
Iran’s Elite Wealth Abroad and Sanctions Leakage: How Offshore Luxury Sustains Regime Resilience
U.S. Central Command Announces Regional Air Exercise as Iran Unveils Drone Carrier Footage
Four Arrested in Andhra Pradesh Over Alleged HIV-Contaminated Injection Attack on Doctor
Hot Drinks, Hidden Particles: How Disposable Cups Quietly Increase Microplastic Exposure
UK Banks Pledge £11 Billion Lending Package to Help Firms Expand Overseas
Suella Braverman Defects to Reform UK, Accusing Conservatives of Betrayal on Core Policies
Melania Trump Documentary Sees Limited Box Office Traction in UK Cinemas
Meta and EssilorLuxottica Ray-Ban Smart Glasses and the Non-Consensual Public Recording Economy
WhatsApp Develops New Meta AI Features to Enhance User Control
Germany Considers Gold Reserves Amidst Rising Tensions with the U.S.
Michael Schumacher Shows Significant Improvement in Health Status
Greenland’s NATO Stress Test: Coercion, Credibility, and the New Arctic Bargaining Game
Diego Garcia and the Chagos Dispute: When Decolonization Collides With Alliance Power
Trump Claims “Total” U.S. Access to Greenland as NATO Weighs Arctic Basing Rights and Deterrence
Air France and KLM Suspend Multiple Middle East Routes as Regional Tensions Disrupt Aviation
U.S. winter storm triggers 13,000-plus flight cancellations and 160,000 power outages
Poland delays euro adoption as Domański cites $1tn economy and zloty advantage
×