James Brokenshire and Robert Jenrick
James Brokenshire has been ousted as homes and communities secretary as incoming prime minister Boris Johnson purged the cabinet and installed a host of new faces.
Brokenshire has been replaced by former treasury minister Robert Jenrick, MP for Newark.
He takes over responsibility for overseeing a host of construction-related areas at the Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), including the department’s Building Safety Programme, established to ensure that residents of high-rise buildings are safe in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster.
The department is also instrumental in setting out the government’s proposals, which are now out for consultation, for implementing the recommendations made in Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent review of Building Regulations and fire safety.
Brokenshire tweeted that he was “looking forward to being released from collective responsibility” and campaigning on issues that matter to him.
After 13 years service on the front bench including 9 in Government will be heading to the backbenches. Has been a huge privilege to serve, but looking forward to being released from collective responsibility and campaigning on issues that matter to me and my constituents.
— James Brokenshire (@JBrokenshire) July 24, 2019
In addition to Brokenshire’s removal, there was also change at the Department for Transport, where Chris Grayling and replaced by former international development minister Grant Shapps.
