Sajid Javid appointed to head DCLG as David Mundell keeps Scottish Secretary job

Sajid Javid
Sajid Javid

Sajid Javid has been named as the new secretary of state for communities and local government following Theresa May’s appointment as Prime Minister.

Mr Javid, who is moved sideways from business secretary, held the culture secretary position before being appointed to the business role last year and is a former managing director of Deutsche Bank.

The 46-year-old University of Exeter graduate stood on a “joint ticket” with former work and pensions secretary Stephen Crabb for the leadership election, hoping to be chancellor if Mr Crabb had become PM.

Gill Payne, director of policy and external affairs at the National Housing Federation, welcomed the appointment of Sajid Javid.

She said: “The housing association sector looks forward to working with him to tackle the nation’s housing crisis and help our housing association members to build more new homes.”

Damian Green
Damian Green

Damian Green is appointed the new work and pensions secretary, taking over from Stephen Crabb, who earlier resigned.

Mr Green served as an immigration minister and justice secretary in the coalition government but has been on the backbenches since 2014.

Meanwhile, Scotland’s only Conservative MP, David Mundell, has kept his job as secretary of state for Scotland.

Mr Mundell, who has been the MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale since 2005, was under-secretary of state for Scotland from 2010 to 2015 and became Scottish Secretary in May 2015.

David Mundell
David Mundell

He said: “I am delighted to be reappointed as secretary of state for Scotland, and to have the opportunity to build on my work over the past year.

“The PM has made it clear we need to unite the country and work for the best interests of everyone in Britain.

“My focus now is to work with the Scottish government in order to get the best deal for Scotland and the United Kingdom as we leave the EU.”

Only yesterday, the UK government laid the formal Parliamentary regulations which set out the timetable for the transfer of the first tranche of new welfare powers from Westminster to Holyrood.

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