Rishi Sunak reshuffle: Greg Hands named new Tory chair and Kemi Badenoch promoted as PM reshapes departments

GREG Hands has been named the new Tory Chairman and Kemi Badenoch promoted in a sweeping shake-up of Rishi Sunak’s top table.

This morning the PM finally confirmed a successor to Nadhim Zahawi and announced major changes to Whitehall departments.

Reuters

Rishi Sunak is set to announce a mini Cabinet reshuffle this morning[/caption]

AFP

Greg Hands is the new Tory Chair[/caption]

EPA

Grant Shapps will head up the new Department for Energy and Net Zero and Kemi Badenoch has been promoted to lead the new Department for Business and Trade[/caption]

News of the plans were first reported by The Sun in a major exclusive last night.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will both be broken up.

BEIS will turn into a stand­alone Energy Security and Net Zero department, headed by Grant Shapps.

Business and Trade will merge under the leadership of Kemi Badenoch.

And a new Science, Innovation and Technology unit will also be formed, led by Michelle Donelan.

Culture, Media and Sport will become a slimmed-down department after being stripped of the digital brief headed by Lucy Frazer.

But the landmark Online Safety Bill will move with Ms Donelan to her new department.

Lee Anderson, who was elected to Parliament in 2019, will be Deputy Tory Chairman.

Mr Sunak pledged to form a standalone Energy department when campaigning to be Tory leader in August last year.

No10 wants the UK to be energy independent by 2045 so Brits no longer have to rely on tyrants like Putin for gas and electricity.

Dominic Raab, who is currently being investigated over multiple bullying allegations, will stay on as Deputy PM and Justice Secretary.

The PM wants to wait until the inquiry into his treatment of civil servants has concluded before potentially moving him.

Mr Sunak will host the first meeting of his new-look Cabinet this afternoon.

Responding to news of DCMS breaking up, ex-Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries tweeted: “Sad to break up DCMS because it works. The department has tragically lacked profile of late despite being most effective in Whitehall.

“Track record in tech, digital, gigabit roll out, telecoms, data speaks for itself.”

A current DCMS official told The Sun: “While I think the changes make sense… to make them now seems daft.

“They will just gum up the system of government well into next year making any meaningful delivery of the PM’s supposed priorities out of the question.”