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Gove replaces Jenrick as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government

The Communities Secretary, Robert Jenrick, and the Lord Chancellor, Robert Buckland, have both been removed from their posts in today's Cabinet reshuffle, with Jenrick being replaced by Michael Gove and Buckland by former Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.

Jenrick, the outgoing Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government who was also appointed in 2019, said: “It’s been a huge privilege to serve as Secretary of State. Thank you to everyone at the department for their hard work, dedication and friendship. I’m deeply proud of all we achieved. I will continue to support the Prime Minister and the Government in every way I can.”

Responding to Michael Gove's appointment, the Chairman of the Local Government Association, Cllr James Jamieson, said: “This has been an incredibly difficult period for councils and communities and we thank Robert Jenrick for the support he has given to local government during the pandemic. We wish him all the best in the future.

“The COVID crisis has shown what can be achieved when government empowers councils to innovate and create new services locally. We look forward to working with Michael Gove as our new Secretary of State at MHCLG to build on this and ensure councils are backed with the resources and freedoms they need to build back local from the pandemic, level up communities and deliver more for our residents and communities.”

A spokesperson for No10 said that Robert Buckland had made "a huge contribution to government as Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor, including making our streets safer through significant reforms to sentencing and tackling re-offending," while "Robert Jenrick has led crucial work over the last two years, most importantly driving reforms to build more houses so home ownership becomes a reality for many more people.

Buckland, who had been in the role since 2019, tweeted: "It has been an honour to serve in government for the last 7 years, and as the Lord Chancellor for the last two. I am deeply proud of everything I have achieved. On to the next adventure."

Responding to the appointment of a new Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice today, Derek Sweeting QC, Chair of the Bar Council, said: "Rt Hon Robert Buckland MP QC has been Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice at a time when the justice system has faced unprecedented challenges. The Bar Council has worked closely with him and the Ministry of Justice during his time in office. We are grateful for his willingness, as a former practising barrister, to work collaboratively and listen to the legal professions. We wish him well and look forward to working with his successor Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP, also a qualified lawyer. As we welcome the eighth Justice Secretary in the last 10 years to play this vital role the need for a consistent and strong voice in government for our justice system could not be greater."

 

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