Rishi Sunak reshuffle – live: PM replaces Nadhim Zahawi in ‘mini-cabinet reshuffle’

Also Read: Keir Starmer Grills Rishi Sunak Over Nadhim Zahawi’s Tax Scandal

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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to announce a small reshuffle of his cabinet today, including a replacement for Conservative Party leader Nadhim Zahawi.

Mr Zahawi was the second of Mr Sunak’s ministers to leave his post more than six months later The Independent revealed for the first time details of an HMRC inquiry into his tax affairs.

According to a source aware of the discussions in No. 10, Mr. Sunak also intends to split the ministry for corporate, energy and industrial strategy into separate ministries.

Describing plans for a “100-day reshuffle,” The sun quoted Whitehall insiders who claimed Mr Sunak could set up a new energy division that would combine business and commerce.

The morning cabinet meeting has been pushed back to 10.30am, sources said.

The Downing Street spokesman has not confirmed reports of a reshuffle of the mini-cabinet.

The Independent has asked No 10 for a response to the reshuffle claims while The Daily Telegraph stated that members of Mr Sunak’s press team had not denied the reports.

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Rishi Sunak plans mini-cabinet reshuffle

Rishi Sunak is expected to announce a mini-reshuffle today as he seeks to improve his party’s disastrous poll ratings and replace the sacked Nadhim Zahawi.

It has been a week since the Prime Minister sacked Mr Zahawi as Tory Party leader for breaching the Ministers Code over his tax scandal, and with no successor named yet, reports suggest Mr Sunak is in for a broader shock planned by him has top team.

The overhaul could potentially extend to the composition of the government itself, amid fresh claims that the PM is considering splitting the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy into separate ministries.

Andy Gregory reported here:

Arpan Rai7. February 2023 04:14

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The minister declined to comment on reports of a mini-reshuffle

Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell declined to comment on reports of a mini-reshuffle planned by Rishi Sunak.

Accordingly The times Newspaper, Mr Mitchell is one of those linked with the role of Tory leader to replace the sacked Nadhim Zahawi.

He told GB News: “Well these are matters well above my pay grade and they are prime minister’s affairs but I am really very happy to be doing a job that I have done before and loved very much which is her international development job and I will do my best, especially today, to make sure Britain gets behind the wheel and save as many lives as possible.”

He also defended Dominic Raab’s position as Deputy Prime Minister, urging him to keep a low profile while investigations into bullying allegations are ongoing, saying there is a “process around these allegations” that “should be followed”.

Thomas Kingsley7. February 2023 07:48

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BBC chairman grilled by MPs amid questions over Boris Johnson loan

BBC leader Richard Sharp is grilled by MPs after it was revealed he helped Boris Johnson secure a loan of up to £800,000 before the then-Prime Minister backed his appointment to head the channel.

Mr Sharp will appear before the Commons Committee on Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on Tuesday morning to take questions about his involvement in Mr Johnson’s financial affairs before he gets the job.

The cross-party panel of MPs will challenge him over his apparent failure to tell them about the agreement at their pre-appointment hearing in January 2021.

Read the full story below:

Thomas Kingsley7. February 2023 07:31

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‘Incredibly disturbed week’ grips the NHS

The NHS is bracing for more disruption this week and for more strikes today as the government has been accused of being “on strike” itself, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Health Secretary Steve Barclay and Business Secretary Grant Shapps reported as “missing from action”. . .

Health leaders monitoring the crisis said the service expects an “incredibly disrupted week” as it faces strikes by nurses, ambulance staff and physiotherapists.

The biggest strike in NHS history took place on Monday and further upheaval is expected today as nurses continue their strike action.

Tens of thousands of workers across England have staged walkouts, including members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) alongside paramedics from GMB and Unite, call attendants and other Ambulance Trust staff.

Arpan Rai7. February 2023 06:55

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Rishi Sunak spent thousands on helicopter flights after taking office – The Guardian

Since taking office, Rishi Sunak has reportedly made thousands of pounds worth of private helicopter flights to North Yorkshire The guard.

The ride from a London heliport to his Richmond constituency is expected to raise more questions about Mr Sunak’s pledge to tackle the climate crisis.

The PM is believed to have used private helicopters from London on appointments in November and December, costing around £16,000. These were privately funded and not paid for by taxpayers, the report added.

Downing Street has not yet commented on the report.

Arpan Rai7. February 2023 06:22

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Cabinet remodeled to have ‘domino effect’ – report

The possible cabinet overhaul by Rishi Sunak is likely to be “relatively limited”, with a “domino effect” caused by the naming of a successor to Nadhim Zahawi, he reported The timesciting a government source.

The Prime Minister is expected to appoint a new leader of the Tory party after he sacked Mr Zahawi over his tax affairs more than a week ago.

Arpan Rai7. February 2023 06:00

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One in three Conservative voters sees the Tories as a “smut party”

New poll for The Independent shows that more than a third of Conservative voters see the Tories as “the party of filth” as Rishi Sunak struggles to draw a line under the scandalous Boris Johnson era.

The Savanta ComRes poll found that 45 per cent of voters see the Tories as party scum – including 37 per cent of those who voted Conservative in the 2019 election.

Only one in ten voters (11 percent) consider Mr Sunak’s party to be “moral”. In comparison, 38 percent say Labor is the party of ‘morality’ and just 14 percent see the opposition as the party of filth.

Read the whole story here:

Arpan Rai7. February 2023 05:31

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Dominic Raab should be safe in a cabinet reshuffle

Dominic Raab is expected to survive a potential reshuffle today as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has indicated he would await the outcome of an inquiry into the deputy prime minister’s behavior before taking any action.

Mr Raab, who is also Justice Secretary, is being investigated by lead counsel Adam Tolley KC over bullying allegations – with dozens of officers believed to be involved in eight formal complaints. Mr. Raab has rejected the bullying allegations.

Arpan Rai7. February 2023 05:22

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Rishi Sunak’s first 100 days on the job: scandals, layoffs and about-faces

Rishi Sunak’s government has suffered a series of scandals, some inherited in part from Boris Johnson’s time at Downing Street.

His tenure – which lasted 100 days late last week – was also plagued by poor poll numbers, inquiries into his ministers’ behavior and some key political relegations, already threatening his authority among Tory MPs.

The Independent takes a closer look at the sordid troubles and rebellions swirling around Mr Sunak as he seeks to roll back his post as prime minister ahead of crucial local elections.

Arpan Rai7. February 2023 04:49

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Sunak could dissolve the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport department

Rishi Sunak intends to split up Michelle Donelan’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sports department and create culture and sports as separate departments. The sun reported.

Alternatively, according to the newspaper, Mr Sunak opts to make culture and sport one department, with a new ministry for science and digital.

“The focus is on improving the work of government, but in reality it leaves senior ministers looking over their shoulder and leaving a big question about the future of [Dominic] Raab, who faces a bullying investigation,” a source said.

Arpan Rai7. February 2023 04:33

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