She was re-elected at the 2015 and 2017 general elections. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click here. I’m heading to the backbenches from where the PM will have my full support, as will my successors at @DefenceHQ & @WomenEqualities It was part of a minimal reshuffle designed to keep disruption to a minimum after another crisis-hit week for Mrs May. Damian Hinds, education secretary, has also left his post, saying on Twitter that he was looking. [11] Through her mother, Jennifer (née Snowden),[12] she is a relative of Philip Snowden, the first Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer. [6][7][8] Starting in July 2016 she served in the May Government as Minister of State for Disabled People at the Department for Work and Pensions. Registered in England No. [50][51], She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a member of the British Astronomical Association and is involved in many charities active in the Portsmouth area, including Southsea Greenhouse, Hilsea Lido, The Patey Centre, and Wymering Manor. © 2020 BBC. She also said that Oxfam did "absolutely the wrong thing" by not reporting the detail of the allegations to the government. Ms Patel had been summoned back to the UK from a visit to Africa by the PM after the furore around her undisclosed contact with senior figures in Israel. Related articles. Theresa May was forced to take the Department for International Development (DFiD) portfolio away from Priti Patel after it was revealed she had failed to disclose meetings with top Israeli politicians including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Ms Osamor said: "The new Secretary of State faces an immediate challenge of restoring integrity to British international development policy after the actions of Priti Patel. Liam Fox, another supporter of Mr Hunt, also said he had “sadly” left his job as international trade secretary while Greg Clark stepped down from his role as business secretary. equalities minister, .css-8h1dth-Link{font-family:ReithSans,Helvetica,Arial,freesans,sans-serif;font-weight:700;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:#FFFFFF;}.css-8h1dth-Link:hover,.css-8h1dth-Link:focus{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}Read about our approach to external linking. [21] She was a director at the Community Fund – which merged administratively with the New Opportunities Fund to create the Big Lottery Fund – and, in 2006, became one of six Directors at charity Diabetes UK. View our online Press Pack. BBC diplomatic correspondent James Landale said there had been two joint ministers ahead of the reshuffle, but by the end of Thursday, there were seven joint posts across the two departments. In November 2017, following the resignation of Priti Patel, Mordaunt was appointed International Development Secretary. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. [42], She became Minister for Women and Equalities in April 2018, replacing Amber Rudd, who had resigned following the Windrush scandal. Boris Johnson has sacked the defence secretary and Brexiteer Penny Mordaunt as he starts to reshape his cabinet.The new prime minister is understood to have sacked Ms Morduant during a brief The former work and pensions minister had be… Patel quit rather than be sacked by the Prime Minister over her secret meetings with Israeli officials during a family holiday in the summer. BREAKING: I understand Penny Mordaunt was sacked, rather than resigning or turning down another role. However, today (July 24) the government equalities office confirmed that reforms to gender identity laws have been delayed and an announcement on the public response to the Gender Recognition Act consultation will not be made before parliament goes into recess. He was also removed from the government when Mr Johnson entered Downing Street. Mordaunt had been Equalities Minister since April 2018 and Defence Secretary since May 2019. "That means she must unequivocally commit to the spirit, as well as the letter, of Britain's pledge to spend 0.7% of national income on international development, and face down those in her party who want to merge DfID into the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. She hit the headlines in 2014 when she took part in the ITV reality show Splash! In May 2019, Mordaunt was appointed Defence Secretary after Gavin Williamson was dismissed by Prime Minister Theresa May following a leak of highly classified information from the National Security Council. Mordaunt does not call for Cummings to resign in her letter, and it is understood she is not calling for him to go. [20][11] She worked for the Bush campaign again in 2004. @PennyMordaunt was well-liked among LGBT community for her progressive policies. Mordaunt has been the Tory MP for Portsmouth North since 2010. [36][37][38], In June 2020, in response to vandalism of war memorials, Mourdant stated "I would like to suggest that for some found guilty of vandalising such memorials they might benefit from some time spent with our service personnel - perhaps at a battle camp. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Mr Brokenshire previously served in the cabinet as Northern Ireland secretary and housing, communities and local government secretary. Following her comments, she was accused by Labour MP Kate Hoey of trivialising parliament. A member of the Conservative Party, Mordaunt previously served in Theresa May’s Cabinet as International Development Secretary from 2017 to 2019 and Defence Secretary in 2019. Read about our approach to external linking. New Yorker fires Jeffrey Toobin for exposing himself on Zoom, Eight Sinai peacekeepers killed in helicopter crash, Black people 'twice as likely to catch coronavirus', Joe Biden picks Ron Klain as White House chief of staff, France honours six-year-old WW2 Resistance agent, Alexa to start second-guessing what users want, Europe moves ahead with Ariel exoplanet mission. How can you find out if you're getting equal pay? [41], In February 2018, an investigation by the Times newspaper revealed allegations of misconduct by Oxfam staff in operating in Haiti, in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake. Dame Angela Lansbury is her grandmother's cousin. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. President-elect Joe Biden phones foreign leaders as Donald Trump vows to win a challenge against his victory. In his role as Conservative Party chairman, Mr Cleverley attended cabinet meetings. [citation needed], In the EU membership referendum, Mordaunt supported the leave, or Brexit, option. Downing Street is likely to continue making announcements during Thursday evening. Paul Scully has also been named minister for London, and both Chloe Smith and Lord True have become Cabinet Office ministers. Thank you to everyone who’s helped me get things done, especially our Armed Forces and civilians in defence for the last 85 days. Replacing her in her old role is Sarah Newton, a minister at the Home Office. And in November 2018, she announced £2.6 million in funding to improve the lives of LGBT+ people as part of the government’s LGBT+ action plan. In May 2019, Mordaunt was appointed Secretary of State for Defence after Gavin Williamson was dismissed by Prime Minister Theresa May following a leak of highly classified information from the National Security Council. Sir Michael Fallon stepped down from the Cabinet amid allegations of Government sleaze, claiming his past behaviours may have “fallen short” of expected standards. ?? Former Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt has made a return to the government, six months after being sacked by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. [45] On 24 July 2019, Mordaunt left the Ministry of Defence and also as the Minister for Women and Equalities, announcing her departure via Twitter. The money will be used to help protect school children from homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying.