Grant Shapps gets defence job in mini reshuffle

Rishi Sunak has promoted furniture seasoned Grant Shapps to the relation of defence caput successful a mini reshuffle of his apical team.

Mr Shapps, who has held 5 ministerial jobs successful the past year, replaces Ben Wallace, who is leaving authorities astatine the adjacent election.

His assignment was not wide expected but helium is seen arsenic harmless brace of hands and an effectual communicator.

Sunak state Claire Coutinho replaces him arsenic vigor secretary.

It is simply a large promotion for Ms Coutinho, who has lone been an MP since 2019 and, astatine 38, volition the youngest curate to beryllium astir the furniture table.

She is seen by colleagues arsenic agleam and competent - but she faces a pugnacious task successful holding the differing wings of her enactment unneurotic implicit the government's committedness to nett zero.

Labour's shadiness clime alteration caput Ed Miliband said her assignment "speaks volumes astir the failures of Tory argumentation that we are present onto the sixth caput of authorities since 2019".

"Reshuffling of the deckchairs volition not present the due vigor argumentation Britain needs," helium added.

Some Tory MPs had expected Mr Sunak to transportation retired a much wide-ranging reshuffle, up of adjacent month's Conservative Party league and the King's Speech, mounting retired the government's priorities.

But the premier minister, who had to regenerate Ben Wallace, who is leaving authorities astatine the adjacent election, has opted to play it harmless for now.

Some expect a wider reshuffle earlier the adjacent wide election, though immoderate Tories fearfulness the PM whitethorn tally retired of time.

In his first connection arsenic defence secretary, Mr Shapps said was "honoured" to instrumentality connected the relation and pledged to "continue to UK's enactment for Ukraine".

Mr Shapps paid tribute to the "enormous publication Mr Wallace has made to UK defence and planetary information implicit the past 4 years".

"I americium looking guardant to moving with the brave men and women of our Armed Forces who support our nation's security," helium added.

Mr Shapps has held 7 furniture roles since 2012.

Last October, helium spent six days arsenic location caput during the last chaotic week of Liz Truss, pursuing the resignation of Suella Braverman from that role.

He was past appointed concern caput by Mr Sunak, erstwhile helium became premier curate aft Ms Truss.

Since Russia's penetration of Ukraine, Mr Shapps has taken a disposable relation successful the UK's enactment of the country.

He took portion successful the Homes for Ukraine scheme, hosting a household of refugees astatine his Hertfordshire home.

Mr Shapps visited Ukraine past week, successful his erstwhile relation arsenic vigor secretary, to item the UK government's relation successful guaranteeing a proviso of enriched uranium to the country's atomic powerfulness plants.

Mr Shapps deficiency of acquisition successful overseas affairs, defence and information has acrophobic immoderate Conservative MPs and service figures.

One anonymous curate said Mr Sunak had gone for "media implicit capabilities".

"The curate for the Today Programme is the curate for defence," they added.

Former main of unit Lord Dannatt said: "The large question is whether Grant Shapps is going to beryllium a governmental appointee to enactment the premier curate successful furniture oregon is helium going to recognize the needs of defence.

"He volition person to enactment truly hard to recognize his portfolio astatine a Whitehall level and however the equipped forces work."

Labour's shadiness defence caput John Healey congratulated Mr Shapps connected his appointment.

He said helium would enactment with his other fig "to support our state safe" - but added that "after 13 years of Tory defence failures, a alteration astatine the apical volition not alteration this record".

Liberal Democrat defence spokesperson Richard Foord said Mr Sunak had appointed a "yes man", who volition beryllium successful complaint of "slashing unit numbers by 10,000".

"They person taken the equipped forces for granted for excessively long, and we are each near little harmless arsenic a result," Mr Foord said.

David Johnston, a Tory backbencher, takes implicit Ms Coutinho's relation arsenic children's curate astatine the Department for Education.

Mr Wallace, who served arsenic defence caput nether 3 premier minister, said helium was stepping down "to put successful the parts of beingness that I person neglected, and to research caller opportunities".

In his resignation letter, Mr Wallace said his subject and governmental careers has travel astatine "a idiosyncratic toll to maine and my family".

Mr Wallace leaves parliament arsenic 1 of the longest serving ministers successful government.

As defence caput helium oversaw the evacuation of unit from Afghanistan. He became a high-profile and ardent protagonist of Ukraine aft Russia launched its full-scale penetration successful February 2022, cajoling different nations to respond to President Zelensky's telephone for weapons to repel the Russian threat.

He besides called for an increase successful forces funding claiming the British service had been "hollowed out" implicit 30 years.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Mr Wallace "led by example" whose enactment "inspired different countries to articulation successful assisting Ukraine".

In a connection Mr Reznikov said helium wants to convey his "friend and colleague" for "everything helium has done for Ukraine portion successful his position".