Portrait of the week | 11 January 2018

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Theresa May, the Prime Minister, tried to shuffle her cabinet, but Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, refused to become Business Secretary and stayed put with the words ‘Social Care’ added to his title. Sajid Javid, the Communities Secretary, had ‘Housing’ tacked on to his. Justine Greening spent three hours with Mrs May and emerged without her job as Education Secretary, having turned down Work and Pensions, which went to Esther McVey. David Lidington was made Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, taking over tasks that had been performed by Damian Green, and was replaced as the sixth Justice Secretary in six years by David Gauke, the first solicitor to be made Lord Chancellor. Education went to Damian Hinds, who was replaced as Employment Minister by Alok Sharma, who was replaced as Housing Minister by Dominic Raab, who was replaced as Justice Minister by Rory Stewart, who was replaced as Africa Minister by Harriett Baldwin. James Brokenshire resigned as Northern Ireland Secretary on genuine health grounds, to be replaced by Karen Bradley, whose secretaryship at Digital, Culture, Media and Sport went to Matt Hancock. The shuffle brought above 50 per cent the proportion of Oxbridge-educated Cabinet ministers. Mrs May said the Government now looked ‘more like the country it serves’.

The Conservative party’s official Twitter account congratulated Chris Grayling on his appointment as party chairman, only for Brandon Lewis to be appointed, in succession to Sir Patrick McLoughlin. James Cleverly became his deputy and nine vice-chairman were appointed, including Kemi Badenoch, given responsibility for appointing candidates, and Maria Caulfield, who opposes legalising abortion for non-medical reasons beyond 24 weeks, given responsibility for women.

Carrie Gracie resigned as BBC China editor, reverting to newsroom duties and rejecting an offer of a £45,000 rise to her £135,000 salary, in the face of what she called ‘unlawful pay discrimination’.