Oliver Dowden has been named the new deputy prime minister and Alex Chalk will take over as justice secretary following the resignation of Dominic Raab, who was found to have bullied staff during his time in government.
Mr Raab stepped down from the roles on Friday morning after a report into his conduct found he had acted in an “intimidating way” and was “unreasonably and persistently aggressive” in meetings.
But he has attacked the findings as “flawed”, and claimed they “set a dangerous precedent for the conduct of good government”.
Politics live: Details of Raab’s bullying
Mr Dowden had been serving in Rishi Sunak’s government as the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Cabinet Office secretary before the new appointment, and will continue in the roles alongside his new responsibilities.
Meanwhile, Mr Chalk – who becomes the 10th justice secretary in 10 years – leaves his more junior role at the Ministry of Defence to take on the department.
In a raft of new announcements, the government confirmed James Cartlidge would move into Mr Chalk’s MoD role – seeing his job as Exchequer secretary passed on to Gareth Davies as his first government appointment.
Number 10 also confirmed Chloe Smith – who served as work and pensions secretary in Liz Truss’s short-lived administration – will step in as science, innovation and technology secretary when the current incumbent, Michelle Donelan, takes maternity leave later this year.
Culture and Science Minister Julia Lopez is also due to go on maternity leave soon and will be covered by Sir John Whittingdale in both roles.
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Mr Dowden is seen as a close ally of Mr Sunak, having supported him in his leadership campaign, and has been central in his cabinet since his friend took the keys to Number 10 last year.
He had served as culture secretary and then party chairman under Boris Johnson, but resigned from Cabinet after a double by-election defeat for the Conservatives last June, becoming the first minister to fall on his sword amid growing pressure on the then-PM over the partygate scandal.
Mr Dowden was educated at a selective state school in Hertfordshire before heading to Cambridge, where he studied law.
But he went on to work for the Tory Party as a researcher and later became a special adviser and deputy chief of staff to David Cameron.
He became an MP in 2015 and represents Hertsmere in his home country, with a solid majority of over 21,000.
Oliver Dowden sat beside Rishi Sunak as he lost the leadership race to Liz Truss
Mr Chalk is also a Sunak ally and was brought into government back in October as a defence minister.
However, he previously served as the solicitor general and a prisons minister under Mr Johnson, joining the throngs of ministers to quit over their boss’ conduct last summer.
Like Mr Sunak, he attended Winchester College and Oxford, but went into the legal profession and became a barrister.
Downing Street released a picture of Alex Chalk with the PM after his appointment as justice secretary.
A former Tory councillor in London, Mr Chalk entered parliament in 2015 when he won his Cheltenham seat back from the Liberal Democrats – but his majority in the area is a slim 981.
His Labour counterpart, shadow justice secretary Steve Reed, tweeted after his appointment: “Congratulations to Alex Chalk on his appointment as the 11th Conservative justice secretary in 13 chaotic years that have destroyed the justice system. Real change can only come with a Labour government.”
